


Empress and the Llama

by PerkyGoth14



Category: Emperor's New Groove (2000), Princess and the Frog (2009)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-05
Updated: 2013-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-28 04:11:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 23,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2718341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cherry is a regular girl who is a waitress for a while and dreams of a better life and soon meets a llama revealed to be the emperor visiting in town and was cast under a spell by the dastardly Ben Ravencroft and needs a kiss from Cherry. Based on Disney's Princess and the Frog. Sorry I suck at summaries! I only own my OC, my friend Victoria owns Rebecca and everyone else belongs to their respective owners</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cast List

Cherry (my OC) as Tiana

Rebecca Utonium (Powerpuff Girls, MonstarzGirl's OC) as Charlotte "Lottie"

Professor Utonium (Powerpuff Girls) as Big Daddy

Emperor Kuzco (Emperor's New Groove) as Prince Naveen

Kronk (Emperor's New Groove) as Lawrence

Ben Ravencroft (Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost) as Dr. Facilier

Shirley the Medium (Courage the Cowardly Dog) as Mama Odie

Courage (Courage the Cowardly Dog) as Juju 

Dobby (Harry Potter franchise) as Ray

Shrek (Shrek) as Louis 

Oscar & Trudy Proud (Proud Family) as Tiana's parents

Pacha & Cheecha (Emperor's New Groove) as Naveen's parents


	2. Chapter 1

It was a dark and clear night. It was a little chilly outside, but several people were in doors for the evening as the stars shone bright like little diamonds in the dark blue-black sky. One star shined the brightest out of all of them and it restored peace all around the town. There was shown a house that belonged to a famed scientist, Professor Utonium, but he was out while inside, there were two younger girls with a woman reading them a story while she was making a purple dress.

The woman had fair skin with ruby-red lips, dark hazel eyes and short cut dark brown hair. She had on a Chartreuse button up shirt with khaki pants that showed her ankles and wore olive-green slip on shoes. She was Trudy Proud.

One of the girls was in a purple dress like a princess dress. She wore a princess cap on top complete with a lighter purple tail. She had a magic wand in her hand as well. She had chocolate-brown hair that reached her shoulders and her eyes were as brown like shiny penny coins. She was Rebecca Utonium, the niece of Professor Utonium.

The other girl had a golden crown on her head, but wasn't dressed like a princess like Rebecca. She had long dark brown braids in her hair and light milk chocolate-colored skin with sepia brown eyes. She had a tiny mole on her cheek under her right eye. She had purple glasses on as well and wore a dark navy blue shirt with a gray mouse patch sewn on the front, a plaid skirt, white knee socks and black dress shoes. She was Cherry, the adopted daughter of Trudy and her husband, Oscar.

"Just in that moment," Trudy continued to narrate as the girls were inside Rebecca's bedroom. "The ugly little llama and pleaded with his sad, round, eyes; 'oh please, dear princess. Only a kiss from you can break this terrible spell, that was influenced on me from an evil witch'."

"Here comes my favorite part." Rebecca whispered to Cherry as her brown eyes widened with excitement.

"And the beautiful princess was so moved by his desperate plea," Trudy narrated once more. "That she stooped down, picked up the stinky creature, leaned forward..."

Rebecca leaned forward with excitement while Cherry leaned forward with disgust.

"...and kissed the ugly llama!" Trudy finished.

Rebecca giggled and Cherry gagged. Rebecca loved princess stories, especially The Llama Prince, but Cherry was disgusted. One for the princess kissing a llama and the other for a kiss happening.

"Then the llama was transformed into a handsome prince," Trudy clipped a ribbon off the dress and turned the page. "And they were married and lived happily ever after. The End."

"Yay!" Rebecca cheered and clapped wildly with excitement while Cherry held her stomach, feeling sick about the thought of kissing a llama. "Read it again! Read it again!" Rebecca begged.

"Sorry Rebecca, but it's time for us to be heading home." Trudy smiled apologetically to the princess girl. "Say good night, Cherry."

"There is no way," Cherry spoke with sassiness. "In this whole wide world, I would ever, ever I mean never kiss a llama! Yuck!"

"Is that so?" Rebecca smirked and grabbed her pet cat named Oliver and put a llama sock hat over his orange, striped fur. "Here's your prince charming, Cher! Come on, kiss!" Rebecca chased Cherry with Oliver.

"No!" Cherry cringed.

"Yes! Yes!" Rebecca taunted.

"Stop it! I won't!" Cherry backed up against the bedroom wall.

"I would!" Rebecca put Oliver down with a smile. "I would kiss a llama, I would kiss a hundred llamas if I could marry a prince and be a princess..."

"You girls stop tormenting that poor kitty," Trudy snapped and took the sock hat off from Oliver. "Poor, little thing..." Trudy then gently set him down as he scratched across the floor, anxiously.

"Evening Trudy." In came a man with a white lab coat with a little black tie inside with matching pants and boots with a squarish shaped head and short black hair. He was Professor Utonium, Rebecca's uncle and guardian.

"Uncle John! Uncle John!" Rebecca rushed to her uncle and picked the ends of her frilly skirt. "Look at my new dress! Isn't it pretty?"

"Well, look at you," the Professor picked up his niece with a smile. "Why I'd expect nothing less from the finest seamstress in Cartoon Town."

"I want that one there!" Rebecca pointed to the dress in The Llama Prince book that the princess was wearing. "Please, please, please, please!"

"Umm... Trudy?" Professor Utonium asked as Rebecca was sprawling around in her uncle's grip and pulled on his tie. "You suppose you could come up with something like that?"

"Anything for my best customer." Trudy replied with a smile as she stood next to a lot of other purple dresses she had made for Rebecca in the past.

"Yay!" Rebecca cheered again.

"Come along, Cherry." Trudy bent down, giving Cherry her black jacket to go outside with. "Your Dad should be home from work by now." the mother and daughter were then on their way out to leave the Utonium family to themselves.

"Now Princess, you're getting the dress, now that's it," Professor Utonium set Rebecca down on her princess bed. "No more, Mr. Pushover, now who wants a puppy?" he then took out a light purple colored poodle with a frizzy puff and a red bow in her fur.

"Yay!" Rebecca cheered for the puppy. "I do! I do! She's so cute!"

Trudy and Cherry then went on their way to their home. Several cars went by but they made it home safely. They lived in a different neighborhood than Rebecca and Professor Utonium did. It was a little smaller, but they didn't mind. They were friends with all their neighbors. Cherry was inside wearing Trudy's apron and was stirring a pot of gumbo and added some spices.

Inside came a man with slightly darker skin than Cherry. He had dark-colored short hair, blue pants with suspenders, darker blue shoes, a white collared shirt with a red tie. He was Oscar Proud. Cherry's adoptive father and Trudy's husband. When Oscar and Trudy couldn't have their own children, they adopted Cherry when she was a baby and raised her like their very own.

"Gumbo smells good, Cherry." Oscar smiled.

"I think it's done, Daddy." Cherry replied as she stirred the pot.

"Are you sure?" Oscar asked.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?" Oscar jokingly asked.

"Yeah!" Cherry giggled and handed him the ladle.

"Alright..." Oscar took the ladle about to have some. "I'm gonna put this gumbo in my mouth..."

"Wait!" Cherry cried and put in a few more spices. "Done!"

Oscar smiled at her and took a sip of the homemade gumbo. He smacked his lips and had an unsure look on his face.

"Daddy?" Cherry tilted her head.

"Well, sweetheart..." Oscar started in a solemn tone, then he grabbed his daughter into a tight hug. "That was about... the best gumbo I ever tasted! Come over here, Trudy, our little girl's got a gift!"

"Well, I could've told you that." Trudy smirked.

"A gift this special has got to be shared. "Oscar suggested.

"Hey everybody," Cherry opened the door and called to the neighborhood. "I made gumbo!"

The neighbors smiled and came right over to have some gumbo Cherry made. Ever since Cherry was old enough, she decided she wanted to own a restaurant when she grew up. That night after dinner, Cherry was being sent to bed by Oscar and he stood over her as they glanced at the night sky.

"You know the thing about good food?" Oscar asked his daughter. "It brings folks together from all walks of our life. It warms them right up and puts a smile on their faces," Oscar took a picture of a restaurant and wrote 'Cherry's Place' on it with blue crayon and handed it to his daughter. "And when I open up my own resturant, I tell you, people are gonna be lined up for miles around just to get a taste of my food."

"Our food." Cherry corrected, as she wanted to own a restaurant with him.

"That's right, baby," Oscar smiled. "Our food."

"Daddy look!" Cherry crawled out from bed and looked up out her window.

"Where you going?" Oscar asked.

"Rebecca's fairy tale book said if you make a wish on an evening star, it'll come true." Cherry explained.

"Why don't you wish on that star, sweetheart?" Oscar smiled. "You wish with all your little heart, but you remember Cherry, that little star can only take part away. You got to help with some hard work of your own. And then you can do anything you set your mind to. Just promise your Daddy one thing? That you'll never lose sign of what's really important. Okay?"

Cherry nodded.

"Okay, see you in the morning, baby cakes." Oscar smiled and closed the door after Cherry set herself back in bed.

Cherry then popped back out of bed, grabbing the picture, hugging it and looked out the window at the shiniest star out in the sky. "Please, please, please, please!" Cherry pleaded, holding the picture close to her chest with a glowing smile.

Cherry then heard a snort and drool. She opened her eyes to see an ugly llama looking at her from outside the window and spat on her head. Cherry let out a scream and ran in her closet, slamming the door from the scare she just endured.


	3. Chapter 2

Time passed and Cherry had changed. She was now a 16-year-old girl in a plain aqua colored dress with a frilly white apron with a bandana in her head. There was a name pin against her chest with black slip on shoes. Her hair was messy too. She slipped off her shoes and untied her apron, and took a look in the mirror with a yawning sigh. She looked at her drawer with her little cans full of tips and a framed portrait of Oscar serving in the war and her mirror.

"Well, Miss Cherry, rough night for tips, but every little penny helps," Cherry said to herself as she took out a few coins and added them to her collection. She put down her apron and smiled as she looked at the picture Oscar made for her when she was still a little girl and looked at the portrait of her father. "Don't you worry, Daddy..." Cherry kissed Oscar's cheek next to his medal. "We'll be there soon."

Cherry then collapsed onto her bed trying to catch up on some sleep and instantly snored. Her alarm clock then let out a ring and she stopped it with her right foot.

She then went to her wardrobe and took off her uniform and grabbed a bright yellow waitress uniform which was in better shape than the one she had on now.

"Good night Cal's, good morning Duke's..." she sighed, putting on the new uniform.

Cherry put on her uniform, then slid her black jacket and a hat and ran out to chase the trolley to get to her job. There was then a good view of Cartoon Town as people were doing daily routines, walking about, some talking to one another. Cherry read a woman's international cookery magazine while she dreamt of her restaurant and what she could do as she was on the way to work.

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An older man was looking at Cherry as she was lost in thought and emotion. He wore a light blue short-sleeved shirt, dark blue pants and shoes with strangely shaped glasses and a flock of red hair. He was Carl Chryniszzswics. He pulled out a flower from his shirt pocket and gave a lustful look in his eye, but then Cherry got off the trolley and Carl had accidentally given the flower to Johnny Bravo.

Cherry hopped off as street performers past her way. There were several musicians with trumpets and all sorts of jazz music. Once they were cleared Cherry saw the restaurant she worked at, but then was cut off by another trumpet player and overweight man with a magician cloth. Cherry was about to pass him, but he had grabbed her hand and spun her around. She was flattered, but she really had to get going otherwise she would be in a lot of trouble.

Cherry made it to work on time and took a giant tray full of breakfast foods to serve everyone. She gave a small group their food as they looked bored and hungry, but were instantly relieved and delighted to get their food. Cherry had a platter of toast and spreaded honeybee honey over it, spun the plate and patted powdered sugar on two other plates of the toast. She gave one plate to General Specific and he ate one and gave a smile and salute. Cherry turned to him with a smile and saluted back as she went back to the kitchen.

As she did that, the main fry cook in the cafeteria hit her on the shoulder a few times with his spatula. He was an octopus in contrast to a lot of the human residents of Cartoon Town, he was Squidward Tentacles. He threw Cherry all sorts of platters and she even caught one on the tip of her foot.

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Meanwhile, outside the restaurant was a very smug man who gave voo doo and fortunes from the future. He had black scruffy hair in a ponytail with a beard, square-shaped glasses, a red jacket with a darker red shirt underneath, brown pants and black shoes. He was Ben Ravencroft.

He was with the Mayor of Townsville who had shown on top of his head was nothing there but thinning white hair. Ben smirked at him and poured purple power onto a card and blew some of the powder in the Mayor's face. Then by magic, the Mayor had charming white hair over his head.

He walked over to Sara Bellum and she looked down at him with a glamorous smile. But then the hair got out of control and the Mayor panicked as he looked like a wolfman and Ms. Bellum ran away with a scream after hitting the Mayor in the face with her purse.

Ben snickered as his plan had worked and he took the dime he had collected from the Mayor. Then a honking horn caught his attention and it had been the car from Professor Utonium. The Professor took a newspaper from Fievel Mousekewitz and gave him a wad of cash for the paper. After the Professor drove off, Fievel cheered that he had made a lot of money.

As the Professor drove off, Ben watched him and his shadow was mocking him and put the dime in his hand. Ben clenched his fist with the dime in it and glared at the Professor.

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After driving off, the Professor took a look in the paper and saw that Emperor Kuzco was arriving to the town. He came on boat and several of the press were standing to meet Kuzco.

Kuzco had long black hair with teal colored earrings with a red outfit and wore what look like a tunic with black sandals on his feet. He had a gold, round crown on his head and he smiled charmingly as everyone watched him. He then threw off the royal clothes and put on comfort clothes which was a green poncho with a red llama stitch sewn on it and he ditched his crown. As he jumped down, next to him was his bodyguard and caregiver.

This man was very muscular, but didn't look very bright. He had a golden hat which had what looked like a feather over it. He had on a blue, sleeveless tunic with golden wrist bracelets, a purple bottom and black sandals like Kuzco. He was carrying Kuzco's bags, rather, unwillingly. This year's model is called Kronk.

As Kuzco jumped down with his ukulele, a lot of the girls around him screamed with sheer delight. Kuzco saw the group that Cherry had dealt with earlier and decided to join them with his own musical instrument. Poor Kronk was on his way down safely, but he slipped on Kuzco's crown and slid down the way to the surface and Kuzco's bags slammed over on top of him.

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Professor Utonium stopped in front of his home to collect Rebecca. She had grown herself, she wore her hair down and had on a white top with an off white jacket, and little hat with cute, sensible shoes. She rushed out of the house to sit beside her uncle as he showed her the paper. Rebecca opened the paper, looked inside and squealed with delight.

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Cherry was clearing off the tables outside the restaurant and Kuzco walked right by her with a dance. He was giving her dashing looks and smiles, but Cherry scoffed and walked back inside. Kuzco shrugged and just decided to keep doing what he was doing. After he left, the Professor's car rode up and Ben was watching with sinister plans encrusted in his mind. But everyone will learn that dreams really do come true in Cartoon Town.


	4. Chapter 3

Squidward tapped the bell on his counter with his spatula a few times with a plate of pancakes in his other tentacle. "Order up!" he signaled Cherry.

"Another coffee, here, chef." Homer Simpson took out his mug while Cherry walked to pick up the food.

"Right up, Homer." Cherry poured some coffee into his mug and continued walking.

"Hey Cherry!" waved one of Cherry's other friends.

"Morning Diajoney." Cherry greeted, walking to the group of friends.

One of them was Diajoney Jones. She had a Hershey kiss shaped head which was even the shade of one. She also had golden blonde hair up in a high pigtail with rose lips, a snub nose with a light blue jacket and lavender shirt underneath, a darker blue skirt, and black shoes.

The other one was another girl who was Hispanic and had short, sharp, dark brown hair with a red flower in it. She wore a red shirt with blue capris with dark blue shoes. She had a very sour look on her face. She was LaCieniga Boulevardez.

There were a few boys too. One of them had a cap over his head and had square-shaped blue sunglasses. He had on a navy blue jacket with a light blue shirt underneath, blue jeans and dark brown shoes. His name was Sticky Webbz.

The other boy was Hawaiian and had a curly black afro with a sleeveless white tank top, red shorts with orange flowers designed on. He also had on sandals. His name was Duke.

The final boy had dark-colored skin with a puffy patch of lighter brown hair. He had on a black leather jacket with a white shirt, black pants and black shoes. His name was Omar.

"We're all going out dancing tonight," Diajoney requested. "Care to join us?"

"Yeah." LaCienega added.

"Come on." Sticky added.

"Live a little, Cherry." Omar smiled.

"Yeah, it's Mardi Gras." Duke added.

"You know I got two left feet," Cherry replied as she collected dishes and came by a very messy Baby Kate Read as she ate her breakfast with her mother, Jane, sipping her coffee cup. "Besides," Cherry stopped to pull out a napkin for Kate to wipe her face with. "You need a napkin, sweetheart?"

Cherry then walked over to Dexter's Dad as he sat down, putting a napkin around his neck and placed a plate of pancakes down in front of him. "I'm working a double shift, here are your hotcakes," Cherry placed the plate down in front of the blonde man.

"So, you know I can save for-" Cherry was cut off by a friend with that sentance.

"So you can save for that restaurant," Dijaney sighed and put a hand under her cheek. "I know, I know. Girl, all you ever do is work!

"Order up!" Squidward called as he rung the ball again.

"Maybe next time," Cherry shrugged as she went to pick up the order.

"I told y'all she wouldn't come!" LaCieniga huffed.

"Are you talking about that barnacle restaurant again?" Squidward asked as Cherry came over to get the order.

"Squidward, your eggs are burning." Cherry pointed out, not answering his question.

"Ooh!" Squidward quickly attended to flipping the eggs and looked back at Cherry. "You aren't ever going to get that restaurant with all your tips."

"I'm getting close." Cherry insisted.

"Yeah? How close?"

Cherry poured a cup of coffee and turned to Squidward seeing a smug grin on his face. "Where are my flapjacks?" she asked, once again, not answering his question.

"You got about as much of chance of getting that restaurant as I do of my clarinet career taking off!" Squidward mocked as he handed her platters and played his spatula like a clarinet and he nasily laughed at her.

The restaurant door opened and there came a little bell chime. Professor Utonium was at the door.

"Morning, Mr. Utonium." Cherry greeted as she walked right by.

"Good morning, Cherry." Professor Utonium greeted warmly as he pulled himself up a chair and took out his paper.

"Congratulations on being voted King of the Mardi Gras parade." Cherry smiled as she handed Moe Syzlak his pancakes.

"Caught me completely by surprise," Professor Utonium smiled as he sat down with a laugh. "For the fifth year in a row! Now, how about I celebrate with..."

"Beignets?" Cherry walked over with said platter and placed them in front of the scientist just how he liked them. "Got a fresh batch just waiting for you."

"Well, keep them coming 'til I pass out." The Professor took one of the beignets with a smile as his mouth watered over the freshness and powdered sugar and he bit into one.

"Oh Cher!" Rebecca slammed the door open in her Sunday best and looked like she was bursting with energy. "Cher, Cher, Cher, did you hear the news?" Rebecca went all around the young, stressed, waitress.

"Hey, Rebecca." Cherry greeted, sounding almost like she didn't care.

"Tell her, "Rebecca sat beside her guardian. "Oh, tell her, Uncle John!"

"Oh, yeah," the Professor cleared his throat. "Emperor Kuzco..."

"Emperor Kuzco of Inca is coming to Cartoon Town!" Rebecca finished as she swiped the paper from her uncle. "Oh, isn't he the bee's knees? Oh! Tell her what you did, Uncle John. Tell her!"

"Well," the Professor straightened himself out after Rebecca shook him with excitement. "I invited..."

"Uncle John invited the emperor to our masquerade ball tonight!" Rebecca told her for him again.

Cherry smiled at her friend as she reached for the coffee pourer and a cup.

"Tell her what else you did, Uncle John," Rebecca pleaded, sitting calmly. "Go on."

The Professor looked at his niece, then at Cherry. "And he's staying..."

"And he's staying-" Rebecca was about to cut him off again, but then he shoved one of his treats in her mouth to shut her up.

"And he's staying in our house as my personal guest." Professor Utonium managed to get out as Rebecca smiled, nodded and gobbled down the treat.

"Oh, Becca, that's swell," Cherry said as she got a new batch of beginets for the Professor. "A little word of advice. My mother always said, 'the quickest way to a man's heart is his stomach'." She set the plate down for the Utoniums.

"Ah! That's it!" Rebecca exclaimed, swiping one of her uncle's beginets just as he was about to eat it.

"What just happened?" the Professor asked himself, suddenly.

"Oh Cher!" Rebecca rushed over to Cherry and hugged her from behind. "You are a bona fide genius! I'm gonna need about 500 of your man catching beignets for my ball tonight!" she dashed over and reached into the Professor's coat pocket and took out a huge wad of cash. "Excuse me, Uncle John. Will this about cover it?"

"This should cover it just fine, Becca," Cherry smiled as she noticed how much money was given to her. "This is it! I'm getting my resturant!"

"Tonight, my prince is finally coming!" Rebecca gushed.

Squidward stared at the sudden events. Cherry wouldn't be working with him anymore and he would be stuck in Duke's Diner. The egg he was just cooking on his spatula dripped down from the edge and splattered on the bell.

"And I sure as heck ain't letting him go!" Rebecca squealed as she grabbed the Professor out of the diner and went away to prepare for tonight's celebration.

After the door closed, Ben was shown, he dropped his menu and was watching over the Utonium family secretly. A sinister smirk emerged upon him and his shadow as he formed a follow up to his wicked plan. (A/N: GOD BEN YOU SCOUNDREL, YOU FIEND, YOU MONSTER, YOU BASTARD, YOU SLIMY, SICKLY, SEXY...okay I'm gonna shut up now lol)

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Cherry was outside and was beside a couple of men dressed like plumbers, one wore green and the other wore red. They were Mario and Luigi and had the place for sale so Cherry could have a place to start her cooking business.

"Everything looks peachy-keen, Mr. Mario," Cherry said as the brothers lifted the sign and went off to dispose of it. "And Mr. Mario..."

"We'll have-a all the paperwork ready to sign-a, first thing after Mardi Gras," Luigi told her as she was on her way inside.

"I'll do you one better," Cherry turned to them before heading in. "Why don't I sign them tonight when I see you guys at the Utonium's masquerade ball?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Cherry!" Mario called as the Mario brothers drove off with their sign.

Cherry smiled as she felt like her dreams were coming true.

"Table for one, please." a distant, familiar voice said, pulling Cherry from her thoughts.

"Oh, Mom!" Cherry turned and noticed Trudy coming over with a pot wrapped in a red ribbon.

"Here's a little something to help you get started." Trudy lifted up the pot with a warm smile.

"Oh, Daddy's gumbo pot." Cherry put a hand over her heart with a smile. She then went over and hugged Trudy tightly.

"I know," Trudy patted Cherry's back and broke out of the hug gently. "I miss him, too."

Cherry sniffled and wiped an eye as she was remembering her father.

"Well now," Trudy changed the subject. "Hurry up and open the door!"

"Just look at it, Mom," Cherry opened the doors and showed what looked like a large, abandoned shack and birds scattered from the broken roof top. "Doesn't it just wanna make you cry?"

"Yes..." Trudy turned her head and answered uneasily.

"The matrie'd is going to be right where you're standing," Cherry started planning as she took off her jacket and hat, going by a broom where the stairs were. "Oh! And over here, a gourmet kitchen! And hanging from the ceiling, a big, old, crystal chandelier!"

"You're your daddy's daughter alright." Trudy chuckled, walking over. "He used to go on and on about this old sugar mill too. Babycakes, I'm sure this place is going to be just wonderful, but it's a shame you're working so hard."

"But how can I let up now when I'm so close?" Cherry asked as she started sweeping. "I gotta make sure all Daddy's hard work means something."

"Cherry," Trudy set the gumbo pot down on a dusty, old stool. "Your Daddy might not have gotten the place he always wanted, but he had something better. He had love." Trudy stroked Cherry's face with her hand. "And that's all I want for you, sweetheart, meet your Prince Charming and dance off into your happily ever after."

"Mom, I don't have time for dancing!" Cherry chuckled as she was about to sing.

Cherry: That's just gonna have to wait a while

"How long are we talking about, here?" Trudy asked.

Cherry: Ain't got time for messing around  
And it's not my style

"I want some grandkids!" Trudy put her hands on her hips as she sat at one of the tables.

Cherry: This old town can slow you down  
People taking the easy way  
But I know exactly where I'm going  
I'm getting closer and closer everyday

And I'm almost there  
I'm almost there  
People down here think I'm crazy  
But I don't care

Trials and tribulations  
I've had my share  
There ain't nothing gonna stop me now  
Cuz I'm almost there

I remember Daddy told me  
Fairy tales can come true  
You got to make them happen  
It all depends on you

So I work real hard each and every day  
Now things for sure are going my way  
Just doing what I do  
Look out, boys, I'm coming through

And I'm almost there  
I'm almost there  
People are gonna come here from everywhere  
And I'm almost there

I'm almost there  
There's been trails and tribulations  
You know I've had my share  
But I've climbed every mountain

I've crossed a river  
And I'm almost there  
I'm almost there  
I'm almost there!

After Cherry sang, she was cleaning up the place a little with her mother. They dusted, cleaned, swept and put curtains to make new table cloths and threw some old stuff out. As they finished, they left the sugar mill to work on more later. Cherry's dreams were just about to come true like she had always wanted since she was younger. Although, when the girls closed the door, the bannister fell off from the stairs suddenly.


	5. Chapter 4

Kronk was wandering around town, nearly bumping into several other people as they were on the streets. They watched him and looked concerned for him carrying all those bags. He didn't have time for apologies and just kept walking, looking for Kuzco. Kronk then caught his breath and turned his head as he heard upbeat music and crowds cheering. He saw Kuzco playing his ukulele with Fievel Mousekewitz as the young mouse was dancing to his music.

Kuzco cheered and laughed as he went to stand beside Linda Flynn-Fletcher, Lila Test and Oceanbird Astromonov. Kuzco then smiled and watched Fievel do his own dance moves and slip and slide around the streets of Cartoon Town.

"Kuzco!" Kronk called as he broke from the crowd. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"What a coincidence, Kronk," Kuzco replied, still playing his music. "I've been avoiding you everywhere."

"We're going to be late for the masquerade." Kronk sounded worried as he watched Kuzco dance, lackadaisical.

"Listen Kronk, listen." Kuzco told the man and marveled with delight as more music played. "It's jazz. It's jazz music! It was born here! It's beautiful, no?"

"No." Kronk groaned.

Kuzco smiled and dropped his ukulele to allow Fievel to play. Fievel looked down with wonder and back up at Kuzco with a gaping smile on his face.

"Dance with me, muscle man." Kuzco laughed and took Kronk's hands. "Stay loose, Kronk!" Kuzco spun Kronk around in a circle.

"We're supposed to be at the Utonium house by now!" Kronk brought up.

"Yes, yes, yes," Kuzco ignored him. "But first, I buy everyone here a drink!"

The crowd wildly cheered once they heard Kuzco's announcement for them.

"With what?" Kronk asked. "At this point, you have two choices. "Woo and marry a rich young lady or get a job!" Kronk pointed to a janitor who was cleaning up after a winged white horse with blue mane called Pegasus.

Kuzco groaned at the very thought of having that guy's job. "Alright, fine.. but first, we dance!" Kuzco took Kronk's hands again and proceeded to let the music come deep within himself. "For someone who can't see his feet, you're very light on them!" Kuzco then threw Kronk against a man who played a tuba and got his head stuck inside of it.

Kronk slammed against the wall and Kuzco laughed obnoxiously. "It's perfect!" he chuckled. "You finally got into the music!" Kuzco lifted Kronk up. "Did you get my joke? Because your head... it's... it's stuck in the tuba..."

"Get me out!" Kronk demanded.

"Alright, here we go, buddy." Kuzco took one end of Kronk while the tuba player took the other. He counted a little and the two went spiraling to another part of the alley.

Kronk got up and dusted himself off, feeling very degraded. "I've never been so humiliated." Kronk muttered to himself as he got off from the streets and a shadow cast over him.

"Hello..." Kuzco greeted.

The two were face to face with Ben, looking smug as usual. He rested his hands against a walking cane and he had a sickly grin on his face. "Gentlemen!" he warmly greeted with his smooth, dark, seductive voice. He then held out his cane for Kuzco to grab onto and pull himself up. "A tip of the hat from Ben Ravencroft." he then handed Kuzco a card with a grin. "How you blokes doing?"

"'Tarot readings'," Kuzco read from Ben's card. "Charms, potions, horror novelist, dreams made real'..."

Ben smirked and led the young emperor away as Kronk picked up the bags and rushed over to catch up with them as they were going away.

"I wager I'm in the company of visiting royalty." Ben smirked as he put his hands together.

"Kronk! Kronk!" Kuzco exclaimed as they were led in Ben's hideout. "This remarkable gentleman has just read my palm!"

"Or this morning's newspaper." Kronk observed the rolled up paper in Ben's back pocket. "Kuzco!" Kronk said softly as he tried to get the emperor out from the dingy hideout. "This guy's obviously a charlatan. I suggest we move on to a less..."

"Don't you disrespect me, muscle man!" Ben demanded in a dark tone as he was about to sing.

Ben: Don't you derogate or deride  
You're in my world now, not your world  
And I got friends on the other side

Chorus: He's got friends on the other side

"That's an echo, gentlemen," Ben said as the door creaked open by magic and forced Kuzco and Kronk inside. "Just a little something we have here in Cartoon Town, a little parlor trick. Don't worry."

Ben: Sit down at my table  
Put your minds at ease  
If you relax, it will enable me to do anything I please

I can read your future  
I can change it round some too  
I look deep into your heart and soul

"You do have a soul, don't you, Kronk?" Ben asked, pointing at Kronk's chest as his shadows and ghosts were working evilly.

Ben: Make your wildest dreams come true  
I got voodoo, I got hoodoo  
I got things I haven't even tried  
And I got friends on the other side

Chorus: He's got friends on the other side

Ben got in his chair as his shadow pushed it in for him and he sat across the table from Kuzco and Kronk.

Ben: The cards, the cards,  
The cards will tell  
The past, the present and the future as well

The cards, the cards, just take three  
Take a little trip into your future with me

Kuzco and Kronk did as told and took three cards each from Ben's deck.

Ben: Now you young man are from across the sea  
You come from two long lines of royalty

"I'm a royal myself on my ancestor's side." Ben remarked as he glanced at a portrait of wiccan, Sarah Ravencroft.

Ben: Your lifestyle's high  
But your funds are low  
You need to marry a little honey whose father has dough

"Foster parents cut you off, huh?" Ben shrugged.

"Eh, sad but true." Kuzco replied.

"But you got to get hitched," Ben dealt the deck of cards together like a magician. "But hitching ties you down. You just want to be free, gallop from place to place. But freedom takes green."

Ben: It's the green, it's the green  
It's the green you need  
And when I look into your future it's the green that I seen

On you, muscle man  
I don't want to waste much time  
You been pushed around all your life

You been pushed around by your mother  
And your sister and your brother  
And if you were married you'd be pushed around by your wife

Kuzco couldn't help but chuckle at that.

Ben: But in your future, the you I see  
Is exactly the man you've always wanted to be

Ben showed Kronk a card of him being emperor while Kuzco would be his lackey, helper monkey. Kronk smiled evilly at this as he held the card in his hands and looked at Kuzco with murder on his face. Ben then held out both his hands to the boys as he stood in between them.

Ben: Shake my hand  
Come on, boys  
Won't you shake a poor author's hand?

"Yes!" Ben sneered as the music got intense and there were ghosts, witches and warlocks revealed as strange magic happened upon everyone. Ben took Kuzco's blood as he was doing transformation spells.

Ben: Are you ready?

Chorus: Are you ready?

Ben: Are you ready?  
Transformation Central  
Reformation Central

Transmogrification Central  
Can you feel it?  
You're changing, you're changing, you're changing alright

I hope you're satisfied  
But if you aren't, don't blame me  
You can blame my friends on the other side

Chorus: You got what you wanted  
But you lost what you had  
Hush


	6. Chapter 5

At the Utonium house, there were cars parked and people bouncing around for tonight's celebration. Everyone was dressed in all sorts of costume. There were Lone Star and Mama dancing the tango together, Barney Gumble dressed as an octopus collected wine glasses filled with sweet, savory, red wine, a couple of teenagers, Mike and Anne Maria were dancing dressed as an Arabian prince and princess. A woman named Peg was dressed like Little Bo Peep and was dragging her husband Pete with her as she dressed him like a sheep and he followed with murder in his eyes. Professor Utonium walked over to his guest Rus Cargill dressed as the devil and following him was Rebecca's all grown up poodle puppy, Cleo, dressed as a gladiator. They were by the snack table where Cherry was dressed like a Renaissance woman.

"Here you go, piping hot." Cherry handed a platter to Candace Flynn dressed like a saxophone. Cherry then turned to see Cleo trying to eat the beginets. "Cleo, excuse me. Cleo, no, no." Cherry waved a finger at the dog.

Cleo whimpered with her big puppy dog eyes as she drooled, hungry for one of the savory beginets.

"Okay," Cherry gave in with a smile. "But just one." Cherry grabbed one of the fresh beginets with her tongs and threw the pastry across the room, leaving Cleo to chase after it.

"But Miss Rebecca, you said 'later' two hours ago!" Johnny 2x4 dressed as a court jester said to Rebecca dressed like an aristocrat, pleading for a dance with her.

"Johnny," Rebecca turned to him with an agitated look on her face. "When a woman says 'later', she really means 'not ever'."

Johnny frowned. "I knew I should've gone stag like Plank..." he walked off unhappily.

"Now run along," Rebecca waved him off. "There are plenty of young fillies dying for you to waltz with them in a stupor." Rebecca then rushed to the snack table, panicking. "Give me them napkins, quick!"

"What on Earth for?" Cherry asked.

"I swear, I'm sweating like a sinner in church!" Rebecca gasped as she stuffed some napkins into her front pocket. "Cher, it's getting so late!"

"There's still a few stragglers." Cherry told her.

"It's just not fair!" Rebecca huffed. "My emperor is never gonna come!"

"Now Becca..." Cherry tried to calm her friend.

"I never get anything I wish for!" Rebecca squabbled, setting herself on the stairs with her big, frilly purple dress. She then rushed up the stairs.

"Becca, wait!" Cherry cried, following her. "Just calm down... and take a deep..."

"Maybe I just gotta wish harder." Rebecca thought as her mascara was running. She then turned to the brightest star in the night sky with her hands together. "Please, please, please, please, please, please!"

"Becca," Cherry said, holding her friend's tiara. "You just can't wish on a star and expect things-"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a man called, turning the girls attention away from the night sky. "His Royal Highness, Emperor Kuzco!"

Rebecca swiped her tiara from Cherry's hands as she was excited as the other guests. Cherry looked up at the star Rebecca had wished on and wondered if it had anything to do with Kuzco's entrance. As Kuzco was in his royal robes and walked down the aisle, Rebecca powdered her face, wiped her eyes and drew a little mole on her cheek. She then whistled a spotlight for herself and put her fan up as sparkles and glitter dawned upon her like the spotlight. The guests applauded her as Kuzco walked over to the stairs.

Kuzco posed to woo her and Rebecca wasted no time rushing down the stairs and took his hands as the Waltz came on for everyone to dance to. Everyone watched Kuzco and Rebecca dance. Cherry slowly walked down the stairs and happily watched her friend enjoy herself. As Cherry swayed her head, a horse costumed head did the same and it surprised Cherry and she saw that it was the Mario brothers in costume. Luigi at the head and Mario at the bottom.

"Evening Cherry, marvelous party." Luigi greeted.

"Evening Mr. Mario," Cherry greeted, then spotted Mario. "And Mr. Mario..."

"Fine-smelling beignets," Mario licked his lips.

"Going to be the house specialty once I sign those papers you guys brought." Cherry said as she offered the boys some of her pastries.

"Yes," Luigi nodded uneasily as Mario ate four pastries at once. "About that..."

"You were outbid." Mario told her for him.

"What?" Cherry was hurt.

"A fellow came in offered the full amount in cash." Luigi explained as Mario stuffed his pockets with more beignets. "Unless you can top his offer by Wednesday..."

"You can kiss that place goodbye." Mario finished.

"You know how long it took me to save that money?" Cherry stood in front of the Mario brothers as they were about to walk away.

"Exactly!" Luigi smiled. "Which is why a little woman of your background would have had her hands full trying to run a big business like that. No, you're better off where you're at." Luigi pulled the horse head back on top to continue walking about.

"Now wait a minute!" Cherry began to protest.

"Love those beignets though." Mario added.

"Now, hold on there, you come back!" Cherry grabbed onto the tail of the costume, but she slid back and crashed against the table and the here douvs fell all over the floor. Cherry's costume got splattered with powder, sauce, juice and other contents.

"Cher!" Rebecca gasped as she walked over. "Time to hit Prince Charming with those man-catching..." Rebecca looked down and noticed her friend in trouble on the floor. "What happened?"

"I... I just..." Cherry tried to explain.

"Oh, you poor dear..." Rebecca helped Cherry up off the floor. "Oh Emperor Kuzco, we'll be right back, sugar!" she called out as she helped Cherry upstairs to her bedroom. "I got just the dress for you."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cherry and Rebecca were now in Rebecca's bedroom. It was just as girly and fantasy like since Rebecca was a little girl. She began to powder her face in the mirror with delight in her brown eyes. "Cher, honey, did you see the way he danced with me? A marriage proposal can't be far behind. Thank you Evening Star!"

Cherry walked over in an icy blue gown with white gloves and stunning white shoes as she walked over as Rebecca was talking among herself.

"You know," Rebecca laughed as she did her eyebrows. "I was starting to think that wishing on stars was just for babies and crazy people..." Rebecca gasped as she saw Cherry's reflection in the mirror and turned at her. "Look at you. Aren't you just as pretty as a magnolia in May?"

Cherry didn't respond, she just walked with her head bowed and eyes shut, going toward Rebecca's way.

Rebecca smiled and took a glittering tiara off her vanity for Cherry and walked toward her. "Seems like only yesterday we were both little girls dreaming our fairy tale dreams." Rebecca stood on her tip toes and placed the tiara on top of Cherry's head with a sweet smile. "And tonight they're finally coming true. Well, back to the fray. Wish me luck." Rebecca walked to outside the room. "Oh, Kuzco..."

Cherry glanced at the door and held onto Rebecca's headboard. She had a sour look on her face as she still had the paper Oscar made up for her. She folded it open with an exasperated sigh. She then sadly sang as she went out to the balcony.

Cherry: Almost  
Almost there  
People would have come from everywhere  
I was almost there

Cherry buried her face in her gloved hands as she fought back some tears so she wouldn't spoil her time at the party. She rubbed her arms and looked up at the shining night star. She looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched and picked up the paper, holding it against her chest.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she sighed, looking up at the star. "Please, please, please..."


	7. Chapter 6

Cherry opened her eyes and reacted with shock as she saw a llama with raven mane and rust red fur. Cherry then scoffed and put her hand under her cheek as she glared up at the night sky.

"Very funny," she scoffed, then turned to the llama with a humoring smile. "So what now? I bet you want a kiss."

"Kissing would be nice..." the llama replied in a city voice.

Cherry screamed and backed away against Rebecca's shelf which made several books and stuffed animals fall out.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" the llama cried as he galloped inside the bedroom. "I didn't mean to scare you..."

Cherry began throwing things at the talking llama and was freaking out.

"Wait! Stop! You have a very strong-arm, Empress..." the llama said after Cherry threw a teddy bear with a tiny crown on its head.

"Stay back or I'll! I'll!" Cherry wielded one of Rebecca's books.

"Please! Listen!" the llama stepped over to her by the stool by the vanity. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Emperor Kuzco..."

SLAM!

"Of Inca..." the llama weakly replied after Cherry slammed a book against his face.

"Emperor?" Cherry asked with a raised eyebrow. "But I didn't wish for any..." Cherry looked at the star, then at the llama with anger and suspicion. "Hold on. If you're the emperor, then who was that waltzing with Becca on the dance floor?"

"All I know is one minute I'm an emperor, charming and handsome, cutting a rug..." Kuzco rubbed his head with his hoof and fell on his rear which now had a short, stubby black tail. "And the next thing I know I'm tripping over these..." Kuzco kicked up one of his legs to show his hooves.

Cherry cringed and was about to whack him again.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Kuzco crouched to protect himself, then looked the front of the book. "Wait, I know this story!

Scos pistolul llama printul!" Kuzco exclaimed.

"The Llama Prince?" Cherry asked, looking down at the llama.

"Yes!" Kuzco cried as he set the book down and flipped through the pages of the transformation. "I had the servants read this to me every night! Yes, yes, yes! This is exactly the answer!" Kuzco turned to Cherry with a suave smile. "You must kiss me..."

"Excuse me?" Cherry demanded.

"Well, I enjoy a guarentee," Kuzco smirked. "All women enjoy the kiss of Emperor Kuzco. Come, we pucker."

"Look, I'm sorry," Cherry backed away. "I'd really like to help you, but I don't kiss llamas."

"Well wait a sec, on the balcony, you asked for me!"

"I didn't expect you to answer!" Cherry wrinkled her nose.

"But you must kiss me," Kuzco pleaded. "Look, besides being unbelievably handsome, okay, I also happen to come from a fabulously wealthy bloodline. Surely I could offer you some type of reward, a wish I could grant, perhaps?"

Cherry glanced at her paper with her name on it with wonder as Kuzco mentioned wealth. Perhaps he could give her the money she wants and needs for her restaurant. Cherry then looked back at Kuzco with her hands pressed together. "Just one kiss?" she asked.

"Just one," Kuzco replied and licked his lips. "Unless you beg for more."

Cherry then cringed and backed away a little. She then assured herself she could do it, slowly leaned forward and planted a kiss on Kuzco's lips meeting hers. There was then a magical glow in the air but Kuzco looked around to see he was still a llama, the trick didn't work.

Kuzco then looked all around and gasped as he looked down to see Cherry's dress was without her, even the gloves. He leaned down and Cherry's voice was heard as she looked up.

"You don't look that much different," she said. "But how'd you get all the way up there, and how did I get way down here in this..." Cherry noticed she didn't have a hand, but a hoof! She looked in Rebecca's hand mirror and saw she was a llama as well and screamed!

"Easy Empress. Empress, don't panic!" Kuzco tried to calm her down.

"What did you do to me?" Cherry cringed. "I'm fuzzy and I spit out slime!"

"No, that's not slime, that's mucus." Kuzco corrected.

Cherry growled and pounced for Kuzco. The two then sprouted on to a rocking horse and a book crashed down on it, causing the two to swing out the balcony and land on drums as a man dressed as a knight was at them. The night tried to get them off but he kept playing his drums as he tried to capture the llamas and they got off as everyone jammed to the music.

The llamas then splattered against Rebecca's dress. Kuzco's body had a winning smile and was about to serve drinks for himself and her. When Rebecca landed on her back and looked to see the llamas she responded with a scream.

"Hey Cleo!" the Professor cried as he noticed his niece in distress.

Cleo lifted her head from the snack table turned over and growled viciously like a guard dog.

"Get those llamas!" the Professor ordered.

"Run!" Kuzco cried.

"I can't, I'm a llama!" Cherry told him as they were running off from the poodle.

"Then gallop!" Kuzco said as they galloped across the dining table with Cleo chasing them. "Down boy! Down, monster dog!"

A mermaid and pirate were about to kiss as Kuzco and Cherry ran with a giraffe head on them which blocked their vision. Cleo kept chasing after them once she had on a pirate hat, eye patch and mermaid tale. Barney Gumble watched them all pass and he emptied his glasses, thinking he may have had too much to drink for the evening. Kuzco and Cherry got tied with some balloons and Cleo was about to pounce and bite them.

"Cleo, it's me, Cherry!" Cherry called.

"Cherry?" Cleo asked with a raspy voice, instead of barks or growls as the duo were going up. Cleo landed against a tray and the celebration cake splattered all over the Mario brothers as they ate their beignets.

"Cleo just talked to me," Cherry sounded distressed. "The dog just spoke to me!"

"You know if you're going to let every little thing bother you, it's going to be a very long night!" Kuzco said as they flew off as it was about to storm.

There was a figure watching them. He had a Joker grin mask over his face but he lowered it to reveal a face of hate. The figure was revealed to have been Ben. He clenched his teeth and turned his head to see Kuzco's body looking anxious about the turn of tonight's events.

He then ran into a gazeebo and opened a cupboard to see an empty glass jar. "Oh dear..." he said, but he sounded just like Kronk.

Right behind him came Ben with a sneer.

"Oh!" the emperor said. "You're so quiet..."

"You let him go?" Ben sneered as he walked toward Kuzco's body and Ben got a ghost to trip Kronk over him, kneeling.

"The poor guy was gasping so I loosened the lid ever so slightly," Kuzco whimpered nervously and tripped over the ghost. "Now how did I ever get tangled up in all this voodoo madness? I can't go through with it!" Kuzco swiped off the amulet around his neck and was revealed to have been Kronk in Kuzco's body all along. "You wear this... this.. ghastly thing!" Kronk threw the amulet.

"Careful with that!" Ben cried and grabbed the amulet before it fell. "Anything happens to this, and I'm going to be..." he then stopped and calmed down as Kronk backed away with fear. "Fun fact about voodoo, Kronky..." Ben wore the amulet around his neck with a smirk and shrug. "Can't conjure a thing for myself. Besides, you and I both know the real power in this world isn't magic. It's money!" Ben pointed to a portrait of Professor Utonium above the fireplace as he wrapped an arm around Kronk.

"That's true..." Kronk looked down, unsure.

"Aren't you tired of living on the margins while those fat cats in their fancy cars don't give you as much as a sideways glance?" Ben asked as he looked down at the floor.

"Yes," Kronk replied. "I am!"

"All you gotta do is marry Professor Utonium's little empress and we'll be splitting that juicy Utonium fortune right down the middle." Ben put the amulet around Kronk's neck to make him into Kuzco again. "60-40, like I said."

"Yeah..." Kronk smirked as he looked in the mirror with Kuzco's body. "But, what about Kuzco?"

"Your little slip up will be a minor bump in the road," Ben smacked the back of Kronk's head. "So as long as we got the emperor's blood in this..." Ben lifted up the skull shaped amulet with a wicked grin and both men chuckled.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, it was drizzling outside and getting very late at night. Kuzco and Cherry were still floating along with the party balloons. Kuzco was explaining everything to Cherry and why he was a llama.

"Voodoo?" Cherry asked as the lightning flashed. "You mean to tell me this all happened because you were messing with Ben Ravencroft?"

"He was very charismatic!" Kuzco remarked.

Cherry groaned in response. "It serves me right for wishing on stars. The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work."

"Hard work?" Kuzco questioned. "Why would an empress need to work hard?"

"Huh?" Cherry wondered what he meant and shook her head. "Oh, I'm not an empress. I'm a waitress."

"A waitress?" Kuzco sounded disappointed. "Well, no wonder the kiss didn't work, you lied to me!"

"No, I never said I was an empress!"

"You never said that you were a waitress! You were wearing a crown!"

"It was a costume party, you spoiled little rich boy!"

"Oh yeah? You think you embarrassed yourself? I don't have any riches!"

"What!" Cherry gasped as they slowly floated downward.

"I'm completely broke!" Kuzco laughed. Just then a balloon popped. "Uh-oh..."

The balloons popped against spiked trees and the two llamas were then plummeting and landed in mucky pond water. Kuzco got up and shivered from the grossness. Cherry got up and was very angry with Kuzco.

"You said you were fabulously wealthy!" Cherry growled.

"No," Kuzco shook his head. "My bloodline is fabulously wealthy. They cut me off for being a-" Kuzco lifted an arm and saw a leech sucking his blood. "LEECH! LEECH!"

"You're broke and you have the nerve to call me a liar?" Cherry pulled the leech off of Kuzco with more anger.

"Well, it wasn't a lie..." Kuzco and Cherry ran after Cherry threw the leech and a giant fish caught it in its mouth.

There was then a panther named Bagheera standing over them who looked very hungry for llamas. The two ran for their lives as Bagheera kept chasing them. Cherry and Kuzco made an agreement about the money and then they stopped as they noticed they landed on a log in the pond and saw logs moving, only they weren't logs, they were ogres!

The ogres made their way for them and tried to devour and attack them. Cherry and Kuzco battled and ran to hide in a small cavern. The ogres stayed where they were, but they had intentions on getting the two llamas again as soon as possible.

"You can gallop, but you can't hide!" one of the ogres said as they went off for the evening.

"Well waitress, looks like we're going to be here for a while," Kuzco said. "We might as well get comfortable."

Cherry slapped him in response.

"Get your slimy self away from me!" Cherry hissed.

"I told you, it's not slime, it's mucus!" Kuzco said and that was that for the evening.


	8. Chapter 7

The next morning, the llamas were still in their hideout to get away from the ogres and take shelter for the rainy night. Kuzco was turned on his side. The shine shone from outside as Kuzco kicked gently in his sleep as he and Cherry were forced to spend the night in the bayou. He had a giant leaf over him to use as a blanket. He then cried out in pain as Cherry threw an acorn at him.

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty," Cherry called to him. "Ogres are gone!"

"Huh?" Kuzco rubbed his head and looked out the cavern to see Cherry on a homemade raft and used her hoof to paddle across the water.

"We got to get back to Cartoon Town and undo this mess you got us into."

"I was not the one parading around in a phony baloney tiara." Kuzco replied as he rested himself on the homemade raft.

Cherry groaned and paddled them across as they experienced the nature. Kuzco clicked and clacked his hooves together along to make music and Cherry wasn't in the mood, obviously.

"I could use a little help." Cherry darted her eyes at him.

"Oh, I could play a little louder." Kuzco offered with a snarky smile and clicked his hooves louder in an upbeat tone.

"How about a little less clicking and-" Cherry gasped in mid-sentence as she spotted another ogre coming up from behind them.

Kuzco noticed the ogre and they both screamed as he inched closer. Instead of biting or eating them, he spoke to them in a heavy Scottish accent. "I know that tune!" he exclaimed. "Dippermouth Blues!" he took out a tiny trumpet and started playing the same melody as Kuzco did.

Kuzco and Cherry were huddled together for protection and their fear turned to bewilderment as the ogre played his music for them.

"Play it, brother!" Kuzco cheered and clicked his hooves together once more, jamming with the ogre.

The ogre and Kuzco played and Cherry just looked with her legs dangling over head with curiosity. The ogre laughed and went on dry land and spun Kuzco around in a circle.

"Ah, where you been all my life?" he laughed.

"Where'd you learn to play like that?" Kuzco asked.

"Why, the swamp's best jazz school in the world," the ogre replied. "All the greats play riverboats. Old Shrek would give anything to be jamming up there with the big boys."

"Why don't you?" Kuzco asked.

"Oh, I tried once," Shrek replied.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shrek remembered when he tried to perform with the musicians. They played their jazz music and Shrek climbed up on board to play his trumpet, making everyone stop with fear. People screamed as they noticed the ogre and tried shooting at him as he jumped back into the water and out of the riverboat.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It didn't end well." Shrek groaned.

"Uh-huh," Cherry walked over. "It has been a real pleasure meeting you, Shrek. And thank you kindly for not eating us, but we best be on our way."

"Where... Where you going?" Shrek asked as the llamas got on the raft and Cherry paddled again.

"To find somebody to break this spell," Cherry replied.

"What spell?" Shrek was puzzled.

"Brace yourself, my green friend," Kuzco spoke. "We are not llamas. We are humans."

"What?" Shrek asked, then broke down laughing. He thought it was joke, but then he looked back as Cherry and Kuzco were flowing away. "Wait, you guys are serious?"

"I am Kuzco, Emperor of Inca," Kuzco introduced himself. "And she is Cherry, the waitress." Kuzco looked back at her and whispered in Shrek's ear. "Don't kiss her."

Cherry turned with a gasp, then furrowed her eyebrows. "Now, just wait a second. This goon here got himself turned into a llama by a voodoo man and now-"

"Voodoo?" Shrek jumped back. "You mean like the kind Shirley the Medium do?"

"Shirley the Who-dieum?" Kuzco asked.

"Shirley the Medium," Shrek told them. "She's the voodoo queen of the swamp. She's got magic spells and all kinds of hoodoo."

"Could you take us to her?" Cherry and Kuzco both asked.

"Through the deepest, darkest part of the swamp?" Shrek gasped wildly. "Facing razor-sharp pricker bushes and trappers and hunters with pitchforks, guns, and torches? No." Shrek then sat behind a tree and played a soulful tone on his trumpet.

Cherry sighed with exasperation.

"Watch and learn," Kuzco told her and made his way over to Shrek. "Shrek, it's too bad we can't help you with your dream. If you were smaller and less gingivitis you could play jazz to adoring crowds without scaring them."

Shrek stopped playing.

"But, enjoy your loneliness my friend." Kuzco smirked, about to leave. "Hasta la bye-bye." Kuzco went toward Cherry, impressed with himself.

"Cute, but it's not going to..." Cherry spoke up, but was cut off.

"Hey guys!" Shrek exclaimed, going to the llamas. "I just got a crazy idea! What if I asked Shirley the Medium to make me human?"

"Shrek, you're a genius!" Kuzco praised.

"Hallelujah!" Shrek laughed and jumped into the water to take Kuzco and Cherry to Shirley the Medium.

Shrek began playing a tune as he carried Cherry and Kuzco on his stomach. They all started to make up a song together.

Shrek: If I were a human being, I'd head straight to Cartoon Town  
And I'd blow this horn so hot and strong  
Like no one they've ever seen

You've heard of Louis Armstrong  
Mr. Sidney Bechet  
All those boys are gonna step aside when they hear this old ex-ogre play  
Listen!

"Boom baby!" Kuzco laughed and clicked his hooves as Cherry and himself were on the shell of Franklin the turtle.

Shrek swung over a branch playing his trumpet, then accidentally splashed over Franklin, Kuzco and Cherry.

Shrek: When I'm human as I hope to be  
I'm gonna blow this horn til the cows come home  
And everyone's gonna bow down to me

Shrek threw Franklin's shell against a tree and blared his horn as Franklin struggled in his new placement.

Kuzco: When I'm myself again I just want the life I had  
A great big party every night  
That doesn't sound too bad

A redhead on my left arm  
A brunette on my right  
A blonde or two to hold the candles  
Now that seems just about right

Life is too short  
When you're done, you're done  
We're on this Earth to have some fun  
And that's the way things are

"Tell it, brother!" Shrek laughed.

Kuzco: When I'm human and I'm gonna be  
I'm gonna tear it up like I did before  
And that's a royal guarantee

"You are getting married!" Cherry snapped and waved the butterflies away from Kuzco.

"Oh, right," Kuzco rolled his eyes. "I'll just have to leave a string of broken hearts behind me!"

Cherry: Your modesty becomes you and your sense of responsibility  
I've worked hard for everything I got  
And that's the way it's supposed to be

When I'm a human being at least I'll act like one  
If you do your best, each and every day  
Good things are sure to come your way

What you give is what you get  
My daddy said that and I'll never forget  
And I commend it to you

All: When we're human  
And we're gonna be

Shrek: I'm gonna blow my horn

Kuzco: I'm gonna live the high life

Cherry: I'm gonna do my best to take my place in the sun

All: When we're human

Shrek then made a huge wave after getting stuck in a hollow log, but cherry helped him out. Franklin was swimming in the water and the swamp as now drenched as the group had left for Shirley the Medium.


	9. Chapter 8

Meanwhile, we are at the Utonium house hold. Far from it was a little picnic table with flowers, a view of the lake with a bridge, and a bountiful of flowers. Rebecca was sitting with who she thought was Emperor Kuzco. They were talking about last night.

"Emperor Kuzco, dear," Rebecca spoke up, wearing a sun dress with a floppy hat. "I am positively mortified you had to endure that llama fiasco last night."

"Well, when you're next in line for the throne," Kronk said as he rose a glass of champagne. "You're poised like a panther, ready to expect the unexpected." Kronk then took a fork and snarled playfully at Rebecca.

Rebecca snarled back with a lustful look in her eye. Kronk continued to snarl, but then his ear popped back to its normal shape.

"Your ear!" Rebecca gasped.

"What?" Kronk asked, then patted on his ear and panicked. Thinking quickly, he ducked down and whimpered as he took out the amulet and it was running out of Kuzco's DNA. Kronk got back up to the table with his hand on his ear with a nervous laugh. "Those pesky mosquitos..." he told the Utonium girl.

Rebecca gave a friendly smile back, knowing this wasn't serious.

"They're everywhere," Kronk continued. "Please..." Kronk took Rebecca's hands and pulled her out of her seat and held her hands close. "Miss Rebecca, I can no longer ignore the throbbing of my-" Before Kronk could continue, his rear end went back to normal and he got immediately worried. "Heart..."

Rebecca looked at him confusedly, wondering if he was hiding something. Kronk then spun Rebecca and dipped her gently with a lustful look in his eye. "Even though our time together has been brief, it's been heavenly!"

"Land sakes, Emperor Kuzco!" Rebecca snorted. "You got be blushing like a-" Rebecca squealed out as Kronk buried his face in her skirt and held her rump close in his arms.

"Would you do me the honor of becoming Empress of Inca?"

Rebecca put a hand on her heart. She couldn't believe what she was hearing from the 'man of her dreams'. She turned from him and smiled wildly as she stepped close to the bridge. "Are you serious?" she whispered with emotion.

"As the plague," Kronk replied with his right hand up to God and put his collar up over his face.

"Yes!" Rebecca tackled him. "I most definitely will marry you!"

Kronk quickly grabbed a bunch of the flowers from the picnic area.

Rebecca swiped the flowers from him as her heart soared in her body. "There's so much to plan!" she gushed. "I mean, the guest list, the dress, the music, the flowers, the shoes!" she squealed, causing Kronk to hide under the table so she wouldn't see him. "We're gonna have ourselves a Mardi Gras wedding!" Rebecca skipped off to tell her uncle the news.

Kronk got up and felt instantly relieved as Rebecca was gone. His relief turned to panic once there was a dark shadow behind him and he gasped with fear to see Ben watching over him and stalking him again. Ben growled and grabbed his amulet as it was being drained of Kuzco's DNA quickly.

"No!" Ben roared and then Kronk was turning back to his true self again.

"What do we do now?" Kronk asked, panicking.

"Because somebody let our llama emperor go, Kronky, I'm reduced to asking for help from my friends on the other side." Ben declared.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night fell as Shrek continued to carry Kuzco and Cherry with him as they were looking for Shirley the Medium.

"Now, this restaurant of yours," Shrek tried to make conversation. "Is it going to have weed rat stew?"

"Jambalaya, gumbo," Cherry listed. "It's gonna have it all."

Shrek licked his lips. "I've always wanted to try red beans and rice with my slug loaf."

"Stop Shrek," Kuzco chuckled. "You two are making me so very hungry."

Just then, Shrek passed them by a field of grass. Kuzco felt his tongue lick his lips as he spotted the blades of luscious grass.

"Interesting..." Kuzco thought, then he jumped onto the patch of grass and licked his lips again.

"What are you doing?" Cherry raised an eyebrow.

"Getting my grub on with this all you can eat buffet!" Kuzco laughed, then bent down to munch on some grass.

Cherry couldn't help but laugh, but then she felt herself get hungry. She licked her own lips and decided to join Kuzco in eating the grass. Kuzco smiled at her as she walked over, but looked reluctant to do so.

"There is no way I'm kissing a llama and eating grass on the same day." Cherry wrinkled her snout.

"Looks like you have no choice." Kuzco laughed, then chewed on some grass.

Cherry did the same. Then Shrek came over. "Did you guys find anything to eat?" Shrek asked, then noticed the llamas had their tongues stuck to each other. "Oh my... Hang on, Old Shrek's got it covered." Shrek lifted up the llamas and squished and splattered them together, despite their cries and pleads. "How's that?" Shrek asked as he set them down.

Cherry and Kuzco were trapped and tied in each other's tongues and they felt awkward and uncomfortable.

"This could be a little better..." Cherry replied.

"You know what this needs?" Shrek scratched his chin. "A sharp stick! Be right back!" Shrek then dashed off past the cattails near the pond.

"This is all your fault." Cherry scolded Kuzco.

"My fault?" Kuzco snorted. "My fault! Let me tell you something, I was having a wonderful time until..."

The two started arguing, then there was a figure behind the bushes and came over toward the couple.


	10. Chapter 9

While Cherry and Kuzco were arguing, there came a short, lumpy pink elf with crystal blue eyes, and wore what looked like a white, torn, tunic. He spoke in a strange voice as he came to the llamas tied up.

"Well, looky here!" he smirked. "Miss, I guess you and your boyfriend got a little carried away. Am I right?"

"Oh, no, no!" Cherry growled.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Kuzco roared.

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"I am the Emperor of Inca!"

"Let me shine a little light on the situation," the elf shut his eyes tight then his eyes glowed in the dark evening. He then walked over to the llamas to see if he could solve this problem. "Goodness, you done this real good for sure, don't you worry." the elf then took a tip of one of their tongues and snapped them away from each other and untangled. "It's about time I introduce myself, my name's Dobby, but you can call me what you want, I prefer Dobby."

"Pardon me," Kuzco remarked. "But your appearance, it's funny, no?"

"I'm an elf, sir," Dobby remarked. "Born and bred in these swamps. You must be new around here, huh?"

"Actually, we're from a place far, far away from this world," Kuzco replied.

"Go to bed, you guys from Hogwarts?"

"No, no, no, no," Kuzco shook his hoof. "We are people."

"Prince Charming here got himself turned into a llama by a voodoo witch doctor." Cherry explained.

"Well, there you go." Dobby smirked.

"And we're on our way to Shirley the Medium's." Cherry added. "We think maybe she can..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dobby stopped her. "Shirley the Medium? You guys are headed in the wrong direction! Now, what kind of knucklehead told you to go this way?"

"I found a stick!" Shrek barged out of the bushes, as if on cue, with his sharp stick.

Cherry and Kuzco glared at him. "Shrek," Cherry folded her arms. "Dobby here says you've been taking us in the wrong direction."

Shrek glanced at them and the elf nervously and dropped his stick. He then nervously chuckled. "I was... Well, I... Now listen... I was confused by the topography and the geography and the choreography and..."

"First rule of the swamps," Dobby whispered to Cherry. "Never take directions from an ogre." Dobby then let out a whistle.

There came glowing blue eyes like Dobby's and they were pink elves as well that were close with him.

"Why, me and my relationals will help show you the way." Dobby smiled.

Cherry and Kuzco couldn't believe the large amounts of elves in the swamps, it was almost like a miracle.

"Hey cousin Danny," Dobby went to some of his relatives. "You ready for a little swamp zydeco?"

"Ready when you are cousin Dobby." one of the elves replied.

"Alright, Debbie, let's get it going." Dobby signaled his relatives. "Come on, llama girl, just follow the bouncing elves!"

Dobby: We're going to take you there  
We're going to take you there  
We're gonna take you all the way there

Gonna take you there  
We're gonna take you there  
We're gonna take you all the way there

Going down the swamp bayou  
Going down the swamp bayou  
Going down the swamp bayou  
Taking you all the way

"We got the whole family," Dobby spoke. "There goes Dickie, Cousin Desperaux, oh! Grandmama, your light's out!"

Grandmama clapped her hands together and her eyes flashed as she followed the other elves to help lead the way to Shirley the Medium.

Dobby: We all gonna pull together  
Down here that's how we do  
Me for them and them for me

We all be there for you  
We're gonna take you  
We're gonna take you

We're gonna take you all the way there  
We know where we're going and we're going with you  
Taking you all the way

Going down the swamp bayou  
Going down the swamp bayou  
Going down the swamp bayou  
Taking you all, you know!

"Come on, folks!" Dobby rushed as fireworks burst in the sky. "Keep that line flowing and the eyes glowing!"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shrek let Cherry and Kuzco ride on his back again as they followed Dobby and the other elves to get where they were going. Back in Cartoon Town, Ben Ravencroft was in his voodoo emporium. He was begging for some help to get him what he needed to keep up his villainous schemes.

"Friends, I know I'm in hock to you all pretty deep already," Ben begged. "But it seems our little llama emperor lost his way and I need your generous assistance of getting him back."

The portrait of Sarah Ravencroft darted her eyes down at Ben with a deep scowl.

Ben laughed anxiously. "I hear you!" Ben smirked. "Now, what's in it for you? Well..." Ben dug in his jacket pocket and took out a Voo Doo doll of Professor Utonium with a pin needle. "Well, as soon as I dispose of Professor Utonium and I'm running this town, I'll have the entire city of Cartoon Town in the palm of my hand. And you'll have all the wayward souls your little dark heart desires." Ben blew souls to Sarah's portrait.

Sarah inhaled the souls and had a malicious grin on her face for her descendant.

"You'll love that, won't you?" Ben smirked at her. "So Sarah, have we got ourselves a deal?"

Sarah grinned at him and nodded her head in the picture frame. She then summoned shadow ghost demons to help Ben with his little problem.

"Now we're cooking!" Ben laughed maliciously. "We're gonna find ourselves a llama! Search everywhere! The swamp bayou, the Quarter. Bring him to me alive. I need his heart pumping for now..." Ben demanded his minions as they left to the outskirts of Cartoon Town.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back with the group, Dobby, Shrek, Cherry and Kuzco were waving at the kind elves helping them out.

"I'll take them the rest of the way." Dobby told his kin.

Everyone said goodbye and headed their seperate ways.

"And don't forget to tell Dolores, Dobby said 'bonne chance'!" Dobby waved and followed his new friends.

"That's your girl?" Cherry asked in curiosity.

"Oh, no, no," Dobby waved his hand. "My girl, that's Svetlana."

"Svetlana?" Cherry smirked.

"She's the most prettiest elf with the most beautiful eyes that glow..." Dobby sighed dreamily. "You know, I told to Svetlana most every night. She's kind of shy, doesn't say much. But I know in my heart, someday we are gonna be together..."

"Aw, that's so sweet." Cherry smiled.

"Yeah," Kuzco sighed. "So sweet. Just don't settle down so quickly, my friend. There are plenty of elves in the swamp."

Cherry groaned and cut down a way to get past some bushes.

"What? What did I say?" Kuzco followed her.

Shrek was about to follow them, but got his finger caught in one of the pricker bushes and shouted in pain.

"Pricker bushes got me!" Shrek fell on his back, wincing. "Ogre down! Ogre down!"

Dobby rolled his eyes.

"The darkness is closing in!" Shrek cried. "I'm so cold."

"Will you hold still, you big baby?" Dobby snorted.

Shrek screamed as there was rustling in other bushes.

"I haven't touched it yet." Dobby deadpanned.


	11. Chapter 10

The rustling in the bushes got louder and some clattering came in. There were three human men hidden in the bushes. They all wore pink under shirts with blue overalls and had hunting gear like nets, baseball bats, spears, bear traps and arrows. They were Moe, Larry and Curly.

"Take a look at them two gallopers," Curly observed as Cherry and Kuzco were galloping thru the forest together. "I can taste them llama legs already." (A/N: Ewww...?)

"Bet they taste real good with sauce piquant, right Curly?" Larry shouted with a stupid smile.

"Will you keep quiet!?" Curly whispered loudly and bashed Larry in the head with his bat.

"Ow..." Larry said, like it barely hurt him.

Moe then mumbled a plan to the two of them. We might not be able to understand him, but Curly and Larry could fine.

"My thoughts exactly, Moe," Curly smiled devilishly. "It's time to catch us some llamas!"

Curly and Moe sunk beneath the bushes. Larry just stood there foolishly. Within moments, his brother grabbed his overall strap and pulled him to stealth with him and Moe. Meanwhile, Cherry was cutting against bushes for herself and Kuzco to travel safely.

"You know, waitress," Kuzco spoke up. "I have finally figured out what's wrong with you."

"Have you now?" Cherry snarled, going further.

"You don't know how to have fun," Kuzco replied. "There, somebody had to say it."

"Thank you," Cherry rolled her eyes. "Because I figured out what your problem is too."

"I'm too wonderful?" Kuzco asked, then Cherry let the heavy branch smack him down in pain.

"No," Cherry stood over him. "You're a no-count, philandering, lazy bump on a log."

Kuzco laughed as he continued walking then coughed deeply. "Killjoy!" he coughed.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing," Kuzco smirked, then coughed again. "Stick in the mud!"

"Listen here, mister," Cherry swung her head at him. "This stick in the mud has had to work two jobs her whole life while you've been sucking on a silver spoon chasing chambermaids around your ivory tower!"

"Actually it's polished marble." Kuzco corrected. He then cried out as a net had captured him.

Cherry turned to see Kuzco had been captured by one of the three stooge hunters.

"I got me one, boys!" Curly smiled wickedly. "You get that little one over there!"

Cherry gasped and tried to get away, but Moe tackled her and held her close to prevent her from escaping. Cherry then plucked her hooves into his eyes, which made him groan allowing her to get away. Moe took out blades as Cherry galloped away. Moe threw the knives which pinned Cherry down, but she wasn't injured. She then jumped away while Dobby was helping Shrek out with his prickers. Shrek then turned to see Curly on a boat with a captured in a net with Kuzco.

"That's good hunting today, yes indeed!" Curly praised himself.

"Hunters with guns!" Shrek gasped as he saw Curly with his weapons. He then screamed and flew right back into another pricker bush.

Dobby rolled his eyes, and turned his direction to see Kuzco had indeed been trapped in a giant net.

"Look at them big llama legs," Curly licked his lips. "I want me some corn bread with this dinner!"

"Oh, no!" Dobby exclaimed. "An elf's gotta do what an elf's gotta do!" he then charged against Curly and flicked his nose and taking his socks off his feet.

Curly groaned then dropped the net he had Kuzco into the water. Curly struggled and threw Dobby down against a rock, causing him to slide down it slowly.

"I think I chipped my favorite tooth..." Dobby moaned.

Cherry gasped as she was being chased and quickly galloped the furthest away she could.

"Here, I come, Moe, I'll help!" Larry rushed over with his feet making earthquakes in the swamps with his baseball bat high above his head. "I'll help!" he then slipped on the mud by the log Cherry was on and she ducked, forcing Larry to collapse onto Moe, making Cherry rise off the log and land into the cage, locking it. "Curly! We got one!" Larry chuckled.

Cherry tried to get out of the cage as Larry put her on their boat. Moe then sat on the cage to prevent her from getting away.

"What happened to yours?" Larry asked his brother.

"Shut your trap, Larry!" Curly demanded as he paddled them back to their home to cook Cherry for their dinner.

"Free!" Kuzco cheered and made funny faces at the hunters, but then his cheers turned to tears as he saw Cherry was trapped. He wasn't sure what to do, but then he quickly swum over and crashed his hoof to the boat, but it caused him to crush.

"Curly!" Larry exclaimed, then whispered. "Did you hear that suspicious thud?"

"Yeah, I sure did." Curly took off his hunting hat and scratched Kuzco's head for he was on top of Curly's head, but Kuzco scratched too so Curly wouldn't get suspicious.

Cherry gasped, seeing Kuzco. He turned to her and tried to shush her so they wouldn't get into anymore trouble they were already in. Moe and Larry stared at Curly as they saw Kuzco. Larry slowly rose his bat to attack Kuzco.

"What are you two gawking at?" Curly turned to them, feeling their awkward stares.

Kuzco hopped up and down from Curly's head causing Larry to knock him on the head several times, but miss Kuzco.

"Just missed him!" Larry groaned and continued to pummel his brother, missing Kuzco more. "I will make him pay for his insolence!"

Cherry couldn't help but laugh at the turn of events.

"Moe, I need some help over here!" Larry called, as he kept thrashing Curly, but not Kuzco.

Kuzco then signaled Cherry to go as Moe got off the cage and took out his hunting gun.

"Would you stop that?" Curly demanded, then his eyes widened as the rifle cocked and Kuzco jumped down.

"Hold still." Moe demanded, aiming the gun to shoot Kuzco.

"No, no, no you idiot, not there!" Curly cried.

Cherry lifted the cage top to escape. The rifle was against Kuzco's head, but Cherry lowered it to aim at Curly's groin. It was too late, Moe had fired it and Curly cried in pain as the shot went straight through his groan. Larry couldn't help but laugh.

"Watch this." Kuzco said as he and Cherry were by Moe's foot. Kuzco snorted back and hocked a loogie on Larry.

Larry exclaimed in fright and rose his bat. Cherry and Kuzco then chose that moment to get off Moe's foot and Larry bashed Moe on the foot with his bat.

"Missed it!" Larry groaned.

Cherry then spit against Moe's face and she and Kuzco jumped off from Larry and Moe knocked Larry on the head with his rifle.

"Get those llamas!" Curly cried as the three hunters were being badly battered by each other and Cherry and Kuzco were enjoying themselves with mild amusement. The men were collapsed over each other as they swiftly went across the water with their boat and Cherry and Kuzco were still there. "These two llamas aren't like no llamas I ever seen..." Curly mumbled. "They're smart..."

"And we talk too." Cherry added as she and Kuzco faced them once again.

The hunters screamed in terror seeing the llamas again and were exposed to their talking abilities. Larry grabbed the paddle and they all quickly went home to escape from the animals and Cherry and Kuzco were once more safe.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dobby was twitching on dry land after trying to help his friends. Shrek pushed water from his sides and gave him mouth to mouth. Dobby gasped and gagged.

"You alright there, little elf?" Shrek asked.

"I'm fine," Dobby sputtered. "But your breath almost gave me death!"

"Would you mind?" Shrek pointed to his stomach which had one last pricker.

"I got you covered, ogre." Dobby smirked. He then plucked it off, allowing Shrek to be relieved.

"Much obliged, sock collector," Shrek then turned to show several more prickers stuck to his butt. "How about the other side?"

Dobby groaned in response.


	12. Chapter 11

"'And we talk too'," Kuzco laughed as they were free from the hunters and were going to safe ground. "I like that. You're secretly funny."

"Not a stick in the mud?" Cherry smirked as they walked among pumpkins. "Say it. Say it."

"Well, I wouldn't go..." Kuzco sighed with a smile. "Alright, you're not exactly..."

"I can't hear you," Cherry teased. "I'm sorry, what?"

"A complete stick deep in the mud..." Kuzco gave in.

Cherry and Kuzco then heard painful groans from Shrek. They walked over to see Dobby trying to take painful prickers out of Shrek's butt and they were worried, concerned and slightly disgusted.

"Miss Llama, I know we got to get to Shirley the Medium's lickety-split, but this particular extrication is gonna take a while." Dobby smiled apologetically.

"Poor Shrek..." Cherry gently pat Shrek on the nose.

"You know what would make me feel better?" Shrek asked her. "Crawfish smothered in rémoulade sauce," Shrek then grunted in pain. "SWEET MERCY!"

"Just a little more!" Dobby told him.

"With some Bananas Foster..." Shrek licked his hungry lips. "Sprinkled with pralines..."

"How about some swamp gumbo?" Cherry asked, tying a leaf around her waist like an apron.

"That'll do." Shrek smiled, then bit his lip in even more pain.

"Sounds delicious," Kuzco sat by a giant mushroom to make as his dinner table. "I'll start with a pre-dinner cocktail and something to nibble on while I wait, thanks."

"No, no, no your royal highness," Cherry waved her hoof at him. "You are going to mince the mushrooms." Cherry handed a sharp rock for him to use as a knife.

"D-D-Do what!?" Kuzco stuttered.

"Mince the mushrooms!" Cherry commanded. "Gallop to it!"

"Little ridiculous..." Kuzco groaned as he was forced into labor.

"Are you mincing?" Cherry called.

"Alright, relax!" Kuzco snapped and poked the mushroom with his blade.

Cherry hummed as she gathered some plants to prepare dinner for them all. Kuzco weakly cut the mushroom in a small part and wiped sweat from his forehead. Mincing wasn't as easy as it looked. Cherry then made a fire and turned a hollow pumpkin into a gumbo pot and she looked at Kuzco's pathetic attempts.

"Step aside, mister," Cherry walked over to him. "Watch and learn." Cherry took the blade and minced professionally.

"Oh, right..." Kuzco chuckled nervously and Cherry took his arm to help him mince like a real cook. It seemed easier after Cherry helped him. "I've never done anything like this before." he admitted.

"Really?" Cherry asked sarcastically as she went to put the mushroom pieces into the pot.

"Alright," Kuzco smirked. "But when you live in a palace, everything is done for you. All the time. They dress you, they feed you, drive you, brush your teeth."

"Oh, you poor baby." Cherry tutted as she stirred.

"I admit it, it was a charmed life," Kuzco replied. "Until the day I earned parents and they cut me off and I suddenly realized I don't know how to do anything."

Cherry looked over at him and felt sorry for him. She took a break from stirring and walked over to him in distress. "Well, hey," she gathered his minced mushrooms. "You got the makings of a decent mushroom mincer."

"You think so?" Kuzco lit up.

"Keep practicing and I might hire you." Cherry walked over and put the mushrooms into the pumpkin pot.

"Really?"

"No."

"Aww! Come on," Kuzco couldn't believe she did that to him. "What was that? That was below the llama belt!"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, the spirit of Sarah Ravencroft was in the waters near the swamps. She spotted the popped balloons which had landed Cherry and Kuzco in the swamp in the first place. She then smirked evilly and called the other spirits to head over to the swamps to capture Kuzco. The other spirits went to follow her as they were about to make Kuzco's life miserable.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dobby, Shrek, Cherry and Kuzco were happily sharing dinner together, unaware of the incoming dangers. Dobby was telling them a story.

"...and you go to see a blind hobbit," Dobby spoke. "You say 'hello' and he says 'what?' and you'd say 'that's an ugly chupacabra'."

Everyone laughed after Dobby told them his story.

"Anyone for seconds?" Cherry asked, holding a bowl of the seafood gumbo.

"That was maginicent!" Kuzco praised, going toward her. "You truly have a gift." Kuzco's hoof touched Cherry's, and she blushed slightly.

"Why, thank you..." Cherry poured him some more gumbo.

Dobby gasped as he examined the night sky. "There she is... The sweetest elf in all creation..."

"Svetlana?" Cherry asked with excitement.

"I wanna meet this lass," Shrek smiled as he licked his lips. "Where is she?"

"How can you miss her?" Dobby asked, then glanced at the sky to the brightest star in the night sky everyone sees before they go to bed. "She's glowing her eyes right up there in front of you all."

Cherry and Kuzco looked at each other nervously.

Dobby: Look how she lights up the sky  
Ma belle Svetlana

"That's no el-" Shrek laughed, but Cherry and Kuzco stopped him so it wouldn't be rude or kill Dobby's moment.

Dobby: So far above me, yet I  
Know your heart belongs to only me

Dobby sang in French and Kuzco told Cherry what he was saying, but she mistook them for him trying to woo her.

"I adore you," Kuzco said. "I love you." Kuzco noticed she looked repulsed. "I'm just translating!"

Dobby: You're my queen of the night  
So still, so bright  
That someone beautiful as she  
Could love someone like me

Cherry and Kuzco then watched with love in their eyes as well. Kuzco took Cherry by the hoof and began to dance with her.

"No," Cherry gently refused. "I don't dance."

Kuzco took her hooves anyway.

Dobby: Love always finds a way, it's true  
And I love you, Svetlana

"I never danced." Cherry told Kuzco, trying to get away

Kuzco smirked and pulled over toward him. "If I get mince, you can dance." As the music swelled, Kuzco and Cherry danced around the pond, even if Cherry slipped a little. Shrek played music on his trumpet and glanced at Dobby like they knew Cherry and Kuzco were slowly falling in love, even if they didn't realize it. Cherry and Kuzco even fell under the beautiful water and they kept dancing and enjoyed each other's company.

Dobby: Love is wonderful  
Love is beautiful  
Love is everything

Do you agree?  
Look how she lights up the sky  
I love you, Svetlana

Cherry's eyes twinkled as Kuzco dipped her. He smiled at her and felt delighted because he was in love with her, but he didn't admit it yet unless he knew she loved him in return. They were about to share a kiss, Cherry's eyes widened and she gently rejected the kiss remembering how they got into this mess.

"Becca's getting herself one heck of a dance partner." Cherry smiled apologetically. "We best get pushing on." Cherry galloped away into the forest and Kuzco sighed.


	13. Chapter 12

Kuzco looked down in dismay, but then his eyes widened as he saw behind his shadow was the soul of Sarah Ravencroft. Kuzco screamed as Sarah grabbed his ankle and dragged him.

"Cherry!" Kuzco cried.

"Kuzco!" Cherry cried back, witnessing the turn of events.

Shrek gasped and ran with Cherry and Dobby to save Kuzco. The former emperor tried to get out of the grip, but he was trapped as Sarah kept dragging him against his will. Kuzco grunted, but then there were bright lights coming onto the water which scared Sarah and the other spirits away back to Ben.

A dark shadowy figure in the fog came as the group huddled together in fright. The figure was revealed to be a short lime green colored Chihuahua with a lazy eye, golden nose, with a pink dress and a blue bandana over her head. One of her pointy ears had a gold ring dangling from it. She was holding a club which had a stick of fire on the tip of it.

"Not bad for a teensy weensy chihuahua gyspy." she had a thick voice and cackled gently. She then blew out the stick and put her hands on her hips as she examined the group. "Now which one of you naughty children have been messing with Ben Ravencroft?"

Everyone then pointed at Kuzco as he waded in the water. Kuzco smiled nervously at the green dog. They then went to the trailer as the dog was revealed to be Shirley the Medium.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We're so glad we found you, Shirley," Cherry spoke up. "Dobby and Shrek have been telling us all about you. We've been traveling quite a long way and you can't imagine what we been through and we..." Cherry shuddered as she walked by a jar with blinking eyes and a pair of teeth. "And we heard that you..."

"Courage!" Shirley cried out.

By her side came a pink cowardly dog by the name of Courage.

"Come on over here, you bad boy." Shirley cackled.

Courage smiled and nuzzled against Shirley's face.

"Give us a little sugar now." Shirley chuckled and kissed Courage repeatedly which was disgusting everyone else. Shrek had done a lot in his life, but even he was disgusted. "You just love old Shirley, huh?" Shirley petted Courage.

"Mm-hmm." Courage smiled at her.

"Come here," Shirley gripped Courage's paw and turned to Cherry and Kuzco. "This here's my husband, Courage... Oh, good to see you again, Dobby. How's your grandmama?"

"She's fine," Dobby replied. "Got in a little trouble for flashing the neighbors again."

"That girl's got spunk." Shirley sat in her chair and petted Courage like his true dog instincts.

"Shirley the Medium," Cherry galloped to the green dog. "We don't mean to take up much of your time-"

"You guys want some candy?" Shirley handed out a paw with a stone, pebbles, lint, a house key, but only one piece of candy and a moth.

"Not really..." Kuzco said uneasily.

"No, thank you." Cherry shuddered.

"Now, that's too bad," Shirely replied and took the piece of candy for herself. "It's a special candy. Would've turned you llamas human." Shirley swallowed the candy as Cherry and Kuzco begged for it right then. Shirley laughed at them. "I'm just messing with you all, you're not as foolish as the Stupid One."

"How on Earth did you know we wanted to be turned back-" Cherry asked, but then saw Shirley instantly asleep.

"Erm... Shirley the Medium?" Kuzco tapped her gently.

"Courage!" Shirley snapped and walked over to her kitchen.

"Huh?" Courage murmured.

"Why didn't you tell me my gumbo was burning?" Shirley hissed, going to her bath tub filled with gumbo.

"You sure this is the right lazy eyed, voodoo dog lady who lives in a trailer in a tree in the swamp?" Shrek asked the elf.

"Pretty sure." Dobby shrugged.

Kuzco and Cherry galloped over to Shirley as she focused on her cooking.

"Can't believe this," Shirley grumbled. "Got to do everything around here."

"Shirley the Medium, if you-" Cherry started, but then Shirley shoved a spoonful of gumbo in her mouth.

"Taste this!" Shirley demanded.

Cherry licked her lips and cringed as she had the substance in her mouth and her eyes twitched.

"Well?" Shirley asked.

"Hit it hard with a couple shots of tabasco and it's the bee's knees." Cherry replied. "Now, we can we-"

"Courage!" Shirley snarled.

Courage jabbered and put in a couple shots of tabasco like Cherry advised, then ran off back to Shirley's chair. Shirley then put her paw in the tub and licked some of the new gumbo and was smiling delightfully.

"That's got some zing into it!" Shriley smiled at Cherry. "That's just what I needed! Now, did you guys figure out what you need?"

"It's just like you said, Shirley," Cherry replied. "We need to be human."

"You don't got the sense you were born with," Shirley scoffed. "Just like the Stupid One. You want to be human, but you're blind with what you need!"

"What we want, what we need..." Kuzco shrugged. "Isn't that the same thing?"

Shirley whacked him on the head with her spoon. "Isn't that the same thing? No!" Shirley walked aside. "You listen to Shirley the Medium, now."

Shirley: Don't matter what you look like  
Don't matter what you wear  
How many rings you got on your finger  
We don't care, no

Courage: We don't care!

Shirley: Don't matter where you come from  
Don't even matter what you are  
A snake, a pig, a cow, a goat

Shirley used her club wand to turn Courage into those animals as she sang, then turned him back to normal.

Shirley: Had 'em all in here!

Courage: Had 'em all in here!

Shirley: And they all knew what they wanted  
What they wanted me to do  
I told them just what they needed  
Just like what I keep telling you all

All: You gotta dig a little deeper  
Find out who you are  
You gotta dig a little deeper

Shirley: It really ain't that far  
When you find out who you are  
You'll find out what you need

All: Blue skies and sunshine  
Guaranteed  
You got to dig

Dig  
You got to dig  
Dig

Shirley: Emperor Llama is rich little boy  
You want to be rich again  
That's not gonna make you happy  
Did it make you happy then? NO!

Money doesn't got soul  
Money doesn't got heart  
All you need is some self-control  
Make yourself a brand new start

All: You gotta dig a little deeper  
Don't have far to go  
You gotta dig a little deeper

Tell the people Shirley told you so  
Can't tell you what you'll find  
Maybe love will grant you peace of mind

Dig a little deeper and you'll know

"Miss Llama?" Shirley went to Cherry as she was dancing.

"Ma'am?" Cherry replied.

"Might I have a word?"

"Yes ma'am."

"You're a hard one, that's what I heard." Shirley took Cherry over to the side.

Shirley: Your Daddy was a loving man  
Family, through and through  
You your daddy's daughter  
What he had in him, you got in you

All: You gotta dig a little deeper  
For you, it's gonna be tough  
You gotta dig a little deeper

Shirley: You haven't dug near far enough  
Dig deep down inside yourself  
You'll find out just what you need

All: Blue skies and sunshine  
Guaranteed  
Open up the windows  
Let in the light, children!

Blue skies and sunshine  
Blue skies and sunshine

Cherry: Blue skies and sunshine  
Guaranteed!

"Well Miss Llama, do you understand what you need now, child?" Shirley asked as the song ended.

"Yes I do, Shirley the Medium," Cherry replied. "I need to dig a little deeper and work even harder to get my restaurant."

Shirley and Courage facepalmed.

"Alright you guys," Dobby said next to the pink dog. "One more time! It don't matter what you look like! It don't... nobody's gonna sing with Dobby...okay."

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"Well, if you're set on being human, there's only one way." Shirley told Cherry. Shirley led the llamas to her gumbo tub and stirred. "Gumbo, gumbo, in the pot. We need an empress, what you go?"

The broth stirred and shinned to an image of Rebecca sleeping in her bedroom.

"Becca?" Cherry asked. "She's not an empress!"

"Hush up and look at the gumbo." Shirley snapped.

There was a knock at Rebecca's door and her uncle came in, dressed like a king with a diamond tiara on a pillow.

"Ta-da!" Professor Utonium exclaimed.

Rebecca woke up and squealed as she saw her uncle and wrapped her arms around him.

"That's right," Cherry said. "Professor Utonium's King of the Mardi Gras parade. So that makes Becca a princess."

"Does that count?" Kuzco asked.

"Yes, it does." Shirley replied. "But until til midnight when Mardi Gras is over."

"Gosh!" Kuzco gasped.

"Llama, you got til then to get that princess to kiss you." Shirley told Kuzco and stirred to show the transformation of Cherry and Kuzco being human again after Rebecca's kiss. "Once she does, boom! You both turn human!"

"Midnight?" Kuzco asked.

"That doesn't give us much time at all." Cherry added, then galloped off with Kuzco.

"What about me, Shirley?" Shrek got excited. "I wanna be human too, so I can jazz with the big lads! I want fingers and toes and a belly button. Not the kind that sticks out, the kind that goes in so I can have fresh lint for snacks after meals-"

"Relation to Frankenstein's creation," Shirley grabbed his lips to shut him up. "You dig a little deeper and you'll find everything you need. Now, come on, go!" Shirley pushed Shrek out her door. "There's a river between here and Cartoon Town! You best get to swimming!"

"Wait, I got a better idea!" Shrek said before they went further.


	14. Chapter 13

Across the river came party boat gently going along stream. People were up and about as jazz music played. Shrek peeked from the water to check if the coast was clear for him and his friends to climb aboard. He then signaled them with a whistle and the four climbed up on board in secret. Shrek loved the music, but his joy turned to worry as he saw shadowed figures with objects in their hands and replied instantly in panic.

"They got guns!" Shrek cried. Everyone scattered, but Shrek had no hiding place to go and just froze himself like a statue, clenching his trumpet.

The three men coming were revealed to be men in costumes. One was dressed like a Chupacabra with a trombone, another was a troll with a clarinet and the last one was Griffin with drumsticks. They casually past Shrek, but then noticed him.

"Man, that is one killer diller costume!" the man in the troll costume said, picking at Shrek's ragged clothes.

"Hey ogre, can you play that horn?" the Griffin asked.

Shrek looked at them nervously and blowed his trumpet to show he had talent.

The men loved it. "Come on! Sit with us!" the Chupacabra said as they walked along. "We're playing Mardi Gras!"

Shrek let out a sigh of relief and happily followed the other men to preform in front of a crowd like he always wanted.

As he left, Cherry and Kuzco were holding each other as they hid from the supposed hunters. Kuzco looked down at Cherry with a smirk, seeing her worried expression. They then let go of each other with nervous chuckles.

"I can't miss this!" Dobby praised, watching Shrek leave. "Little Shrek is gonna finally play with the big boys!" he decided to watch for himself.

"Kuzco, you coming?" Cherry asked as she was on her way to watch with Dobby.

"Oh," Kuzco smiled. "I'll catch up with you later."

Cherry smiled at him and galloped away.

Kuzco smild back and looked down to see a stray wire and a lost pearl necklace from the celebration. He took both and in time he had made an engagement ring for Cherry. He saw it could easily slid through a finger and he put it in a walnut-shell and closed it to propose to Cherry with. He then sighed and looked up at the night sky.

"Oh Svetlana," Kuzco mumbled. "Why can't I just look Cherry in the eye and say," Kuzco stood and opened the shell, bending on one knee, however Dobby was watching with sheer anger and jealousy. "'I will do whatever it takes to make all your dreams come true because I love you'?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Llama!" Dobby snarled. "You making goo-goo eyes at my girl? That's it! Put 'em up! I'm gonna make socks out of you!"

"Whoa, easy!" Kuzco tried to calm the elf. "No Dobby, I'm not in love with Svetlana! I'm in love with Cherry!"

"Ooh!" Dobby stopped gnawing at Kuzco's hooves and turned to cheer. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! You come here, you." Dobby hugged Kuzco. "You're gonna be happy together!"

"And I can't marry Miss Rebecca Utonium any longer," Kuzco said. "I'll find another way for Cherry to get a restaurant."

"You're gonna have the cutest little crias together!" Dobby added.

"I will get a job," Kuzco thought. "Maybe two. Maybe three."

"I can't wait to tell Miss Llama!" Dobby exclaimed.

"No, no, no," Kuzco pulled him back. "I must tell her. Alone."

"Right," Dobby smirked and gave Kuzco a noogie. "You rascal!"

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Later on, the night came closer and closer. Kuzco was leading Cherry to a special place, hiding his homemade engagement ring. The further they went, the more curious Cherry got.

"Where are you taking me?" Cherry asked.

"I just wanted to show you a little something," Kuzco replied as they got on top of the captain board. "To celebrate our last night as llamas."

Cherry smiled, but then gasped as she saw what Kuzco set up. There was a tiny bucket with a small champagne bottle and lavender flower. There was even a little table set up for them both and a candle stick. It looked cheap, but it was still romantic for a llama's perspective.

Cherry beamed. "All my years no one's ever done anything like this for me." Cherry turned over and laughed as she saw a bat had made itself look like a black bow tie on Kuzco as he stood next to her.

"It's a little too much, huh?" Kuzco shrugged, then waved the bat off. "Thanks Beaux."

"I thought it was a nice touch." Beaux the bat snorted and flew away.

"Pretend you didn't see that," Kuzco said nervously, taking Cherry to sit her down. "Please, please, sit down."

"What's this?" Cherry asked, getting comfortable and seeing a silver dish covered.

"Ta-da!" Kuzco lifted the top off to show all sorts of minced foods which had been prepared professionally.

"You minced!"

"I did!" Kuzco set himself down. "You have had quite an influence on me, which is amazing, because I have dated thousands of women," Kuzco stopped himself and tried to make this topic sound appropriate. "No! Like two or three, just other women... Anyway just listen... You're not much more different you know," Kuzco set his hoof down to get his engagement ring for Cherry. "You are practically one of the guys... No, no, no! You're not a guy, let me start again!" Kuzco hid the walnut behind his back anxiously as Cherry grew more suspicious and offended. He then slid against the table and fell downward. "I'm not myself tonight, Cherry, sorry that was loud... This is a disaster..."

"No," Cherry giggled. "It's cute."

Kuzco chuckled nervously and fiddled with his walnut-shell. "Cherry, I-"

"There it is!" Cherry gasped and looked over from the boat to see the sugar mill and sat comfortably.

"Your restaurant?" Kuzco asked.

"Can't you just picture it?" Cherry got excited. "All lit up like the Fourth of July."

"Yes, jazz pouring out every window!" Kuzco added.

"It should be elegant."

"But you got to keep it loose, though. Got to let it swing."

"You know a good ukulele player?" Cherry smirked.

"Really?" Kuzco put his arm around her. "You'd let me perform?"

"I'll talk to the owner," Cherry replied quickly. "The owner says yes."

Kuzco laughed and sighed, happily.

"Folks are gonna be coming together from all walks of life," Cherry continued. "Just to get a taste of our food."

"Our food?" Kuzco asked as he lifted the shell to take out his ring, but he gently put it back.

"Huh?" Cherry scooted back a little. "Oh, no, my Daddy. He always wanted to open this restaurant. He died before he could see it happen." Cherry took Kuzco's hoof and looked up at him happily. "But tomorrow, with your help, our dream is finally coming true."

Kuzco's smile faded. "Tomorrow?"

"If I don't deliver that money first thing tomorrow I lose this place forever." Cherry explained.

Kuzco felt his heart sink in his chest and sighed sharply. "Cherry..." he finally said. "I love-" Kuzco lifted the shell top and Cherry turned to him with wonder. He then felt like he couldn't sugar coat this and just change his thoughts. "The way you light up when you talk about your dream."

Cherry smiled at him.

"A dream... That is so beautiful..." Kuzco took her hoof and stroked it gently. "I promise I will do whatever it takes to make it come true."

There was then hooting and hollering. Cherry and Kuzco jerked their heads, wondering where the sounds were coming from.

"Port of Cartoon Town all ashore!" the captain called.

"I'll go round-up the boys..." Kuzco said with a smirk. He then took his walnut-shell and left to get Shrek and Dobby.

Cherry sighed as he left and buried her face in her hooves. She felt like there was something more to that, but according to her heart and what she knew, she was only friends with Kuzco and nothing more. She then looked up at Svetlana glowing in the far distance.

"Svetlana," she spoke. "I've always been so sure about what I wanted, but now I... What do I do? Please tell me."

Unfortunately, Cherry didn't know Kuzco was being held hostage and tormented by Sarah Ravencroft and other spirits. They had taken him away to the darkness.

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Rebecca was in a purple wedding gown in front of a door of a small house and knocked on it frantically.

"Emperor Kuzco, darling," Rebecca called. "You better hurry up. Don't wanna be late for our Mardi Gras wedding."

"Umm... Getting dressed!" Kronk called from behind the door. "Just a few more minutes, my dearest heart!" Kronk was in his underwear, still in his natural form instead of Kuzco's.

"Okay honey lamb," Rebecca said back, about to leave. "We'll be waiting in the Packard. Uncle John, start the car!" Rebecca stormed off with impatience.

"Oh my spinach puffs, I'm doomed!" Kronk cried as Rebecca was gone. He then got hit from Ben's cards as his shadow was looking anxious and he was angered.

"No Kronky!" Ben snapped. "I'm the one who's doomed unless we get that llama's blood in-"

There was rumbling from the fireplace as the fire crackled and danced. Sarah's spirit and other souls were howling as they came in with Kuzco as hostage. Sarah lifted Kuzco by his ankle and threw him against Ben and Ben caught him in his slimy hands.

"We are back in buisness, Sarah!" Ben remarked, tightening his grip against Kuzco.

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" Kuzco struggled, then saw his faithful servant. "Kronk!"

"Oh, hold still, your Excellence," Kronk grinned evilly as he took out an amulet to take Kuzco's DNA.


	15. Chapter 14

The boat stopped and Shrek got off the boat with the other creature performers with his trumpet.

"Mardi Gras! Mardi Gras!" the people chanted as they entered Cartoon Town.

"Dobby!" Cherry called as she was off the boat. "Have you seen Kuzco?"

"Look at you," the pink elf smirked. "Where's your ring?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, if Llama Boy didn't say anything, I'm not gonna say anything, because old Dobby's sealed up, tight as a drum. You're not getting anything out of me, no!"

"Dobby..." Cherry knew he was hiding something from her.

"Okay Llama Dude isn't gonna marry Rebecca, he's gonna marry you!" Dobby gave in. "Soon as he gets himself kissed, you're both gonna be human and he's gonna find a job to get you that restaurant," Dobby explained as Cherry smiled delightful that Kuzco would do that for her. Dobby then covered his mouth. "I said too much, didn't I?"

"You said just enough!" Cherry pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you, Svetlana!"

Cherry and Dobby rushed off into the Mardi Gras parade as upbeat jazz music played, people threw their beads and hopped all around. There were even fire dancers, people in floats tossing beaded necklaces, and confetti flying around. Cherry galloped and mixed in with the crowd.

"He was trying to propose!" Cherry squealed. "That's what all that fumbling was about! And here I thought he wanted to marry a rich girl!"

"Wait, llama, stop!" Dobby tried to catch up. "What are we looking for again?"

"You keep your eyes out for the biggest, gaudiest float with a Mardi Gras empress about to kiss herself a-" Cherry stopped as she saw the Utonium float. Rebecca was in her wedding empress gown and the Professor was in his king uniform. She gasped as she saw Kuzco was human and in an emperor uniform. "llama..." Cherry felt heartbroken.

"Dearly beloved," Reverend Timothy Lovejoy read from a book as the Professor watched from his throne. "We are gathered here tonight in this fine celebration to join together this emperor and this young woman in holy matrimony."

"This can't be right," Dobby sighed as he saw Kuzco was about to marry off Rebecca. "And how can you still be a llama? Shirley the Medium-" Dobby turned to see Cherry had left with tears and heartbreak.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dobby stopped at nothing to find Cherry with his eyes glowing as he wandered in the cemetery. He looked through the gate with sadness as he saw Cherry alone holed up in a corner, crying. Dobby went over to try and comfort her.

"I know we saw it with our own eyes," Dobby spoke up. "But if we just go back that way we're going to find out about your fairy tale come true."

"Just because you wish for something doesn't make it true." Cherry sniffled.

"It's like my Svetlana always says to me-"

"Svetlana is nothing but a star, Dobby!" Cherry sneered at him with anger and sadness. "A big ball of hot hair a million miles from here! Open your eyes now, before you get hurt." Cherry galloped away.

Dobby's eyes stung with tears as he held his hands together and looked up at the shining star he knows as Svetlana. "She's just speaking out a broken heart, that's all it is... Come on Svetlana, we're gonna show Miss Llama the truth!" Dobby scampered off.

Back at the wedding, Reverend Lovejoy was at the final parts of the martial speech.

"If any of you objects to the union of these two people-"

Ben was from afar with his Professor Utonium voo doo doll about to spear his chest with the pin needle with a wicked chuckle and Cheshire Cat grin.

"Speak now, or forever hold your peace." Reverand Lovejoy said.

Kuzco had been locked in a chest, still in llama form, but no one could hear him or get him out.

"Me! Me!" Kuzco banged against the inside with his hooves. "I object!" he then slid out his tongue to scoot himself further and put a stop to this wedding.

"Do you, Emperor Kuzco, take Rebecca to be your wife?" Lovejoy asked.

"Llama Boy, what are you doing?" Dobby whispered sharply in Kronk's ear, not knowing it was Kronk with Kuzco's DNA.

Kronk shuddered and waved off Dobby with disgust. Kronk then looked down to see Kuzco's llama tongue and stomped on it.

"As you both shall live?" Lovejoy continued the speech.

"What?" Kronk asked, then settled himself. "I do! Yes! I'm for it!"

"Do you, Rebecca Utonium," Lovejoy turned to the bride.

"Is that you, Llama Dude?" Dobby asked as he got to the chest, noticing the sickly llama tongue outside the locked chest.

"Dobby, get me out of this box!" Kuzco cried.

"I can't hear you!" Dobby replied. "I'm gonna get you out of this box!" He then turned his finger like a key to help Kuzco out.

"...To keep yourself only to him as long as you both shall live?" Lovejoy continued, unaware of the intrusions.

"Oh, I do!" Rebecca gushed as the Professor smiled at her.

Ben grinned more evil as he was about to force the pin needle into the doll's heart as the reverend was about to wrap up the ceremony.

"And so, by me," Lovejoy continued. "By the power vested in me by the state of Toonsiana, I now pronounce you man and-" Before Lovejoy could go on, Kuzco was free and grabbed onto Kronk, swinging the amulet while Ben grunted with anger.

"Emperor Kuzco!" Lovejoy cried.

Kronk and Kuzco fell on the floor. Kronk snarled at Kuzco and grabbed him, but the amulet was still around his neck.

"Goodness gracious!" Rebecca cried. "Are you alright?"

"I just need a moment to compose myself!" Kronk told her with a smile.

"Cheese and crackers!" Rebcca growled.

"Kronk, why are you doing this?" Kuzco asked as they were both in the church.

"As payback for all those years of humiliation." Kronk replied, nearly strangling Kuzco.

"Get your royal rump back on that wedding cake and finish this deal!" Ben snarled, barging over to the pair as Dobby snuck in.

Kuzco spat in Kronk's eye, making him drop the llama, but Kuzco got a hold of the amulet containing his DNA.

"What is he doing?" Ben roared. "Stop him!"

"Give that to me!" Kronk threatened.

Kuzco then swung the amulet over as he saw Dobby. The pink elf grabbed it, but it was too heavy for him.

"I got it! It's got me too!" Dobby fell to the floor. It fell to the floor, but it wasn't as forceful since Dobby still had his grip on it.

"Let go of that!" Ben hissed. Kronk was about to go after the elf, but Ben picked him up and set him down. Ben then started chasing Dobby, but the elf was too fast for him. Ben then let out a whistle to summon Sarah and his other ancestors. Dobby was on his way out, but the souls were going after him.

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Shrek was on a parade float with the other creatures, blowing his horn with excitement. Shrek then felt a disturbance and turned his head. "Dobby?" Shrek turned to see souls and Dobby heading into the cemetery.

"Hey, why'd you stop?" the troll asked Shrek.

Shrek then knew what was more important. He had to save his friends and leave the show. He roared to get through the crowd and people realized he was an actual ogre.

"He's a real ogre!" the Chupacabra cried.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cherry was alone still in sadness, but she jerked her head up as she heard a familiar voice.

"Dobby?"

"This proves what we saw isn't what we saw!" Dobby said, rushing to Cherry with the amulet.

"What's this?" Cherry asked.

"It's a voodoo hayacall," Dobby replied. "Ben Ravencroft has been using it for the-" Dobby cried as he saw the souls coming after him and turned back to Cherry anxiously. "You can't let Ben Ravencroft get this, no matter what! Now run, girl, run!"

Cherry nodded her head and ran off with the amulet carried her mouth as she ran away.

"Don't make me light up my eyes!" Dobby challenged the souls. Dobby then backed up and flipped all around the souls, shining light on them to make them die. He then laughed with victory, but Ben pushed him against a headstone and snorted.

Dobby weakly scampered across the grounds, but Ben had finally had enough of him. He then carelessly put his foot over top of Dobby and squashed him with no mercy. Ben then shrugged off his homicide and walked off with the souls as lightning flashed. Shrek was looking all over for his elf friend.

"Dobby!" Shrek cried. "Dobby...?" Shrek looked down to see Dobby was near death.

Cherry was still running with the amulet as the Ravencroft souls were still going after her. Cherry was almost out, but Ben's shadow cast over her and she reacted with sheer fright. The shadow was about to capture her.

"Back off!" Cherry demanded. "Or I'm gonna break this thing into a million pieces!"

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Ben then took out purple powder and blew it over Cherry to make sure she wouldn't do that. Cherry was then turned to a human form with an elegant outfit. A snow-white gown with platinum yellow feather boa around her neck. She even had white studded shoes with her hair curled up and a feather in her hair. She even had a golden necklace with a bracelet. She had always dreamt of herself in that kind of outfit. She then looked to see she wasn't in the cemetary anymore and was in the restaurant of her dreams. She heard music playing and turned her head to a man in a white suit with his back turned.

"Kuzco?" Cherry hoped as she still had the amulet in her hand.

The ukulele player turned and was revealed to be another man playing it with glasses and a mustache. Cherry was disappointed, but Ben tried to trick her into liking it to get what he wanted.

"Now, isn't this a whole lot better?" his dark, seductive, smooth voice influenced her as he sat at a table with a glass of champagne. "than galloping around the swamp bayou the rest of your life?" he sipped from the glass.

"Ben Ravencroft..." Cherry snorted at him.

Ben chuckled and stood with his deck of cards with his trademark grin. "Gotta hand it to you, Cherry. When you dream, you dream big." he took out a card of the picture Oscar made for her. "Just look at this place! Going to be the crown jewel of the Toonscent City! And all you gotta do is make this a reality is hand over that old talisman of mine." Ben held out his hand.

"No," Cherry shook her head as she held the amulet close. "This isn't right."

"Come now, darling," Ben walked toward her. "Think of everything you've sacrificed..." Ben made smoke vision bubbles of the past events.

"Girl, all you ever do is work!" Diajoney said.

"I told you guys she wouldn't come." LaCieniga added.

"Think of all those naysayers who doubted you," Ben purred, making the images fade away.

"You're never gonna get enough for that down payment!" Squidward mocked.

"...Little woman of your background, you're better off where you're at." Luigi snickered.

"And don't forget your poor Daddy," Ben smirked as he opened up a blinded window. It was the childhood neighborhood Cherry lived in with her foster parents. "Now, that was a hard-working man."

"See you in the morning, Oscar!" Felix Boulevardez said as he drove by.

"Double, sometimes triple shifts." Ben added.

Oscar walked to the house with his bones stiffing and cracking from hard work to provide for his family.

"Never letting on how bone tired and beat down he really was." Ben continued.

"Daddy!" child Cherry cried happily.

"Hey, babycakes!" Oscar smiled as he sat in a chair, rubbing the back of his neck.

Cherry watched and couldn't believe it, Ben was probably right. She was only a little girl then of course.

"Shame all that hard work didn't amount to much more than a busted old gumbo pot," Ben added. "And a dream that never got off the back porch. But you?" Ben put his fingers together with a sinister smile. "You can give your poor daddy everything he ever wanted. Come on Cherry, you're almost there..."

Cherry watched the memory she had of making her own gumbo and sharing with the neighbors as Oscar carried her and Trudy had an arm wrapped around them both. Cherry was just about to give up the amulet into Ben's hand.

"My Daddy never did get what he wanted..." Cherry frowned. Cherry then wrinkled her nose in anger as she saw Oscar, Trudy and her child self sharing a warm, happy family hug and Ben was wrong about Oscar's lifestyle. "But he had what he needed! He had love, he never lost sight of what was really important!" Cherry tightened her grip on the amulet.

"Easy with that!" Ben backed up, nervously. "Careful!"

"And neither will I!" Cherry was about to smash the amulet, but Ben's shadow had captured it before it could hit the floor.

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Ben grabbed the amulet as the precious fantasy faded away and Cherry was back to being a llama and the two were in the cemetary. "You should've taken my deal..." Ben pressed his finger against Cherry's fuzzy chest as he dangled the amulet with his free hand. "Now you're gonna spend the rest of your life being a smelly llama who spits slime..."

"I got news for you, Ravencroft, it's not slime, it's mucus!" Cherry snorted and hocked up a loogie on Ben's hand, making him drop the amulet and clean up his hand with disgust. Cherry then took the amulet and smashed it immediately.

"No! No!" Ben got on his knees as he held the crumbled amulet and had lost the battle. "How am I ever gonna pay back my debt?"

Just then Sarah's ghost appeared right in front of him, making him back up with fear and nervousness.

"Sarah! My favorite relative!" Ben smiled anxiously.

Chorus: Are you ready?

"No, I'm not ready at all!" Ben cried as his worst fears were being realized. "In fact, I got lots more plans!"

Chorus: Are you ready?

"This is just a minor setback in a major operation!" Ben shuddered. "As soon as I whip up another spell, we'll be back in business! I still got that llama emperor locked away!"

Cherry gasped as she hid behind a headstone.

"I just need a little more time!" Ben grabbed the pavement as Sarah grabbed his ankle and was starting to drag him to Hell. "Just a little more time! I promise I'll pay you back, Sarah! I promise!" Just then Ben was dragged beneath the surface and there was now a headstone of Ben Ravencroft and he was finally defeated.


	16. Chapter 15

Cherry gasped and panted at what she had just witnessed as she stayed behind the head stone. Her breathing was shallow and wheezy and she felt like horror was dawning on her and turned as she heard a bell toll. It was the clock on the church where Rebecca was at the doors of and calling for Kuzco.

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"Emperor! Emperor Kuzco!" Rebecca pounded on the doors alone. "Your shy and retiring bride to be is getting antsy!" Rebecca gave up and slammed the doors open to see Kronk turned in his true form, feeling terrifyingly nervous.

"Hello darling." Kronk turned with a nervous grin and wave.

Rebecca screamed as she saw the supposed man of her dreams was nothing more but an illusion. Kronk screamed as well and ran off with tears feeling he'll never get what he wants.

"Miss Utonium!" Kuzco called as he was on the floor. "Please, down here!"

Rebecca looked down on the organ bench to see Kuzco in llama form stumbling over and weakly standing to see her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the real Emperor Kuzco."

SLAM!

"Of Inca..." Kuzco finished weakly after Rebecca had bashed him with a song book.

"Did you say emperor?" Rebecca gasped.

Cherry galloped outside, then stopped to see Kronk being arrested by Joe Swanson.

"Boys, drag this maggot down the parish prison." Professor Utonium ordered as Joe Swanson and Chief Clancy Wiggum were handcuffing and taking Kronk away.

"I'm completely innocent!" Kronk cried as the doors slammed on him. "No! Ben Ravencroft bamboozled me!"

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"Goodness gracious..." Rebecca was with Kuzco on the other side of the church. He had just told her everything so she would kiss him by midnight. "This is so much to absorb. Let me see if I got this right. If I kiss you before midnight, you and Cherry will turn human again? And then we're gonna get ourselves married and live happily ever after, the end?"

"Yeah, more or less," Kuzco shrugged as the clock ticked further. "But remember, you must give Cherry all the money she requires for her resturant."

Unknowing to Kuzco, Cherry was standing behind a pillar and listening in on the discussion.

"Because Cherry," Kuzco continued as he looked up at the night sky and put a hoof on his heart. "She is my Svetlana..."

Cherry smiled warmly at Kuzco's compliment.

"Anything you want, sugar." Rebecca smiled, applying her favorite lipstick and puckered her lips a few times. "Pucker up, Cousin Buttercup."

Kuzco seemed reluctant to kiss Rebecca, but he puckered his lips to go through with it as she leaned forward like in hers and Cherry's favorite childhood bedtime story.

"Wait!" Cherry cried.

"Cherry?" Kuzco turned back.

"Cherry?" Rebecca was confused to see Cherry as a llama as well.

"Don't' do this." Cherry pleaded as she galloped over.

"I have to do this," Kuzco said. "And we're running out of time."

"I won't let you!"

"It's the only we to get you your dream!"

"My dream?" Cherry sighed. "My dream wouldn't be complete without you in it."

Kuzco felt touched, then slowly turned to her. She was sincere and smiling.

"I love you, Kuzco." Cherry smiled.

"Alpacas and all?" Kuzco asked as he took her hooves.

"Alpacas and all." Cherry confirmed.

Rebecca sniffled and wiped a tear from one of her copper eyes. She couldn't believe her best friend was in love and finally happy. "All my life, I read about true love in fairy tales, and Cher, you found it!"

Cherry and Kuzco held each other lovingly.

"I'll kiss him," Rebecca smiled. "For you, honey." Rebecca leaned forward, picked up Kuzco's goofy face. "No marriage required."

Before Rebecca and Kuzco had a chance to swap spit, the clock had chimed 12:00 midnight. It was too late.

"Oh my word!" Rebecca gasped. "Maybe that old clock's a little fast..." As the clock chimed, Rebecca kissed Kuzco, but nothing happened. She kissed him other parts of his face, but still nothing. "I'm so sorry..." Rebecca set Kuzco down next to Cherry.

Kuzco looked at Cherry with an apologetic smile. Just then the two heard from their famous ogre friend.

"Cherry! Kuzco!" Shrek rushed over with Dobby in his giant green hands.

"Shrek, what is it?" Kuzco asked as he and Cherry galloped to the ogre in distress.

"Ben Ravencroft laid down poor Dobby." Shrek knelt to show Dobby in his hands.

"Dobby..." Cherry whispered.

"He's hurting awful bad." Shrek knelt down to show them.

Dobby wasn't dead quite yet, but his eyes were barely open and his whole body looked faded and weak. Shrek gently laid Dobby down on a giant red leaf to rest. Shrek had a sour frown on his face and his ears drooped down, but Dobby smiled at him weakly. Cherry put a hoof on the elf and Dobby turned to see Cherry and Kuzco were still llamas.

"Hey Miss Llama..." Dobby greeted weakly. "...How come you're still-"

"We're staying llamas, Dobby." Cherry told him.

"And we're staying together." Kuzco took her hoof.

"Oh..." Dobby smiled and sighed a romantic French saying. "I like that very much..." Dobby looked up at the night sky one last time as his heart was slowly beating. "Svetlana likes that too..." Dobby smiled and looked at his friends one last time and his eyes slowly shut and he breathed his last breath. Dobby was now dead.

Shrek saw one of his best friends die and his brown eyes stung with tears and he shut them tight as tears dripped down his face. Cherry and Kuzco held each other and let out their own sadness for their helpful friend. Cherry swallowed hard, she was always the sensitive one around death. Especially when losing a loved one. It began to rain as everyone hung their heads as they tried to cope with the loss of their friend.


	17. Chapter 16

It was a dark and gloomy night at the swamp bayous. Shrek swam in the waters, carrying Cherry and Kuzco with him as they carried flowers and some of Dobby's relatives came too. They carried Dobby's body in a leaf with another turned over to dispose of him and remember him. Three of Dobby's cousins set his leaf and body down against the water and everyone went to dry land as Shrek played a solemn tune on his trumpet. Cherry and Kuzco set in the flowers and one of Dobby's cousins sent the leaf away across the pond and it disappeared into the fog.

Cherry and Kuzco let out tears, then a bright blue light caught Cherry's attention. Kuzco noticed as well, then eventually so did Shrek. Everyone looked up at the sky to see a change in the atmosphere. The glowing star they called Svetlana had a second star right next to it. It was truly one of the most heartwarming moments anyone had endured. Everyone cheered knowing Dobby would be a lot happier where he is now. Cherry and Kuzco even shared a hug.

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The next day as the sun was glowing and slowly setting around. It was a very wonderful day in the swamp bayous. All the animals were gathered together and eventually Kuzco proposed to Cherry. Shirley the Medium stood next to Courage as he held a book and she was giving a recitement to the llamas.

"And so by the power vested in me," Shirley recited. "I now pronounce you fools, llama and wife. Get to it, Spoiled One! Give your lovely bride some sugar!"

Kuzco looked at Cherry. He had an albino bat across his chest and Cherry had a tiny bouquet of flowers with a wedding viel over her head.

"Congratulations." the white bat said, flying off.

Kuzco smiled and took Cherry's face and kissed on the lips. Then, a miracle happened and there was a golden glow in the air between the two llamas. Cherry and Kuzco were dressed in royal wedding clothes and were human again at last. Shirley cheered and held Courage tight. Shrek cried in happiness for his friends and next to him he saw a red-headed ogress with diamond blue eyes in a green dress and golden crown.

"Hello..." Shrek greeted. "I'm Shrek."

"I'm Fiona." the ogress smiled and took his hands.

Shirley cackled as she saw Cherry and Kuzco finally human again. "Like I told you ones, kissing an empress breaks the spell!"

"Once you became my wife, that made you..." Kuzco was thinking about this as he looked at Cherry.

"An empress," Cherry curtsied. "You just kissed yourself an empress."

"And I'm about to do it again." Kuzco purred and kissed her again as the animals and creatures of the swamp cheered.

The two then got officially married in a church and the people there cheered happily. Cherry blew a kiss at Trudy, Professor and Rebecca Utonium as they praised her and clapped. Kuzco showed his new wife to his foster parents, Pacha and Chicha. Pacha gave Kuzco a thumbs up.

Pigeons flew about and guards stood at the doors as Kuzco and Cherry left the celebration of their marriage together. They got in the carriage together with horse drawn and Cherry threw her boquet at some unmarried girls.

Kitty Katswell, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Brandy Harrington all jumped up for the boquet. But then Rebecca shoved them down, jumped up and caught the boquet for herself and laughed wildly. They were mad at Rebecca, but they were just sore losers.

Meanwhile, Cherry and Kuzco were together at Mario Brothers Realty with Shrek and Fiona with them. Cherry pushed her coffee cans of money collected for her resturant and Shrek and Fiona stood behind Mario and Luigi. They were about to refuse, but Shrek and Fiona growled at them, turning them deathly pale and giving Cherry the key to the sugar mill.

Cherry took out a hammer as they went to the mill and Kuzco helped her build the restaurant of her dreams. Over time, it was finally done and they called it Cherry's Palace in honor of Oscar. They even let Shrek play his trumpet and Fiona was there playing her tambourine with him as they were about to earn their own happily ever after.

Rebecca was with her uncle in elegant clothing as Cherry passed all her friends and she was living her dream. Trudy sat with her own fancy clothes and was ordering off the menu, feeling very proud of her daughter. Kuzco slid over with a platter of minced vegetables for Pacha and Chicha. Kuzco grabbd Cherry's hand and pulled her on stage as he played his ukulele next to Shrek.

"Who would have thought the emperor would've had a younger foster-brother?" Rebecca gushed as she was dancing with a partner. "How old did you say you were?" Rebecca looked down.

"I'm six and a half!" Tipo replied as he danced with Rebecca.

"Well, I've waited this long." Rebecca laughed as she continued to dance with the younger boy.

As dancing was inside, there were cars parked outside and trillions of people from all around were coming for Cherry's restaurant. Cherry and Kuzco danced out as the elves' eyes glowed in the moon light with Svetlana and Dobby. And everyone lived happily ever after.

The End


End file.
